New Delhi: Despite political tensions in Bangladesh following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 and rising anti-India rhetoric from the new regime, India continued supplying electricity to Bangladesh without interruption, according to a report in Eurasia Review.
Over the years, India and Bangladesh built a strong energy partnership through pipelines, power grids and joint infrastructure projects that became crucial for Bangladesh's economy. After the political transition in Dhaka, concerns emerged over whether the strained diplomatic ties would affect power cooperation between the two neighbours.
However, even as political communication slowed and administrative processes such as visa normalisation faced delays, India's electricity exports to Bangladesh remained largely unchanged through September 2024. Official data from India's National Load Despatch Centre showed that nearly 47.7 million units of electricity were supplied to Bangladesh on September 18, 2024, underlining the deep integration of the two countries' energy systems.
The report noted that by 2024 the India-Bangladesh power relationship had evolved beyond dependence on political goodwill or individual leaders. Long-term agreements, operational coordination between grid operators and interconnected infrastructure ensured continuity, making any disruption costly for both sides.
Bangladesh's factories, hospitals and urban power networks had become heavily reliant on imported Indian electricity. At the same time, Indian grid operators had contractual and commercial obligations tied to the supply arrangement.
The article also highlighted Bangladesh's fragile economic condition during the transition period, with pressure on foreign exchange reserves, rising fuel import costs and weak public confidence. A disruption in electricity supply could have worsened load-shedding, hurt industries and increased public frustration.
The report credited India for not using Bangladesh's dependence on imported power as political leverage during the crisis. Instead, India allowed institutional commitments to continue, treating the energy partnership separately from diplomatic tensions - a move the article described as a quiet but durable form of diplomacy. (IANS)
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