Standing Committee on Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources

parliamentary_committee · partial (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head: —
Role: Chairman
Annual budget: —
Staff: —
Established: 1973
Legal basis: Constitution of Bangladesh, Article 76 (standing committees of Parliament); Rules of Procedure of the Jatiya Sangsad (Rules 196-241, requiring one standing committee per ministry)

The Article 76 Standing Committee on Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has not been constituted as of 2026-05-17 -- it is expected to be formed in the second session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (likely June 2026). Parliamentary energy oversight in the interim window is being exercised by: (1) the time-limited Special Parliamentary Committee on Energy (Rule 266, 10 members, 30-day mandate from April 26, first meeting May 3), which is due to submit its report by around May 26; and (2) direct ministerial statements by Iqbal Hassan Mahmood on the floor of the House. The committee's standing agenda when constituted will centre on: Adani Power contract renegotiation or arbitration (NRC found corruption and double-pricing); LNG procurement resilience amid Strait of Hormuz disruption and spot price spikes above $28/MMBtu; BPDB arrears of Tk 47,000 crore to generators; and the BERC tariff process, including the May 20-21 public hearing on a proposed Tk 1.20-1.50/unit bulk tariff increase.

Recent activity

2026-03-12 other 13th Jatiya Sangsad first session commenced. Ministry-specific standing committees, including the Standing Committee on Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, are to be constituted under Article 76 and Rules 196-241; as of prorogation on April 30, 2026, only five procedural/structural committees had been formed during the first session -- ministry-related standing committees remain unconstituted. ↗↗↗
2026-04-23 policy Parliament formed a separate 10-member Special Parliamentary Committee on Energy under Rule 266 (not under Article 76) -- chaired by Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood -- with a 30-day mandate to address the acute energy crisis caused by the Middle East conflict and LNG supply disruptions; this is a time-limited ad hoc body, distinct from the Article 76 standing committee. ↗↗↗
2026-04-30 other First session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad prorogued after 25 sittings; 91 ordinances converted into law; five procedural/structural standing committees formed but the Article 76 ministry-specific standing committee on power, energy and mineral resources remains to be constituted in the second session. ↗↗
2026-04-02 regulation Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood told the Jatiya Sangsad that the government was considering international arbitration or renegotiation of the Adani Power (Godda, India) purchase agreement; he cited findings of the National Review Committee -- chaired by retired Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury -- which documented corruption in the deal process and recommended legal action against Adani Power Limited; electricity from Adani was found to be priced at nearly double the cost of power imported directly from the Indian grid. ↗↗↗
2026-04-12 policy Bangladesh's LNG import crisis deepened as the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran triggered closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of global LNG trade flows; spot LNG prices surged from around $10/MMBtu pre-conflict to over $20/MMBtu by April 2026, with one Petrobangla cargo bought at $28.28/MMBtu; of Bangladesh's 143 power plants, up to 71 were shut down or operating far below capacity due to gas, coal, and furnace oil shortages; peak summer demand reached approximately 17,000 MW against a deliverable supply of 12,000-14,000 MW. ↗↗↗
2026-04-17 other Nationwide load shedding reached 8-9 hours per day in rural and peri-urban areas during the April heat wave, with outstanding BPDB payments to domestic and foreign power plants exceeding Tk 47,000 crore; private oil-based plants owed more than Tk 16,500 crore and had gone unpaid for 7-8 months; installed capacity stood at approximately 29,000 MW but fuel shortages limited actual generation. ↗↗↗
2026-05-03 policy Special Parliamentary Committee on Energy held its inaugural meeting at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban; the Energy and Mineral Resources Division briefed members on the crisis, existing government measures, and emerging challenges; the committee is expected to submit a report by around May 26, 2026 (30-day deadline); concurrently, BPDB reported that load shedding had effectively ceased for approximately one week (April 27 to May 3) as cooler weather reduced demand. ↗↗↗
2026-05-20 regulation BERC commenced two-day public hearing (May 20-21) on proposals from BPDB to raise bulk electricity tariffs and from Power Grid Bangladesh PLC to raise transmission charges; BPDB proposed a wholesale tariff increase of Tk 1.20 to Tk 1.50 per unit to offset a projected Tk 655 billion sector deficit in FY2026-27; approximately 63% of consumers (using under 75 units per month) were proposed to be exempted from retail increases; BERC had previously raised the bulk power tariff by 19.92% and hiked industrial/captive gas tariffs following a separate public hearing. ↗↗↗

Provenance & notes

Verification status set to 'partial' because: (1) the chairman and members of the 13th Parliament's Article 76 Standing Committee on Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources have not been publicly announced as of 2026-05-17 -- the first session (March 12 to April 30, 2026) formed only five procedural/structural committees, and ministry-specific standing committees are expected to be constituted in the second session; (2) the established_year 1973 reflects activation of the standing committee system under the first Jatiya Sangsad, not the current parliament's own committee. IMPORTANT STRUCTURAL DISTINCTION: The '10-member Special Parliamentary Committee on Energy' (formed April 26, 2026, chaired by Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood, first meeting May 3, 2026) is a separate, time-limited body formed under Rule 266 of the Rules of Procedure -- it is tracked separately under slug 'special-parliamentary-committee-on-energy'. The Article 76 standing committee shadowing the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources is a permanent committee reconstituted each parliament and has not yet been formed in the 13th Parliament. ADANI REVIEW: The National Review Committee that found corruption in the Adani deal was an executive-branch body (chaired by retired Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury), not this committee -- its findings have been transmitted to the Ministry and to Parliament via ministerial statements. BERC TARIFF: BERC's May 20-21 public hearing on the bulk and retail electricity tariff hike is a regulatory process under the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Act 2003; parliamentary oversight of BERC outcomes is the standing committee's domain once constituted. LNG NUMBERS: the $28.28/MMBtu spot price and $3.88 billion 2025 import cost are sourced from The Daily Star and Global Voices/Juan Cole citing Petrobangla data; the Tk 47,000 crore arrears figure is from The Voice News and Dhaka Tribune (April 2026).

Standing Committee on Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources

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