The dialogue titled 'National Interest and Energy Policy', organised by 'National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas-Minerals-Power-Port', was held at the National Press Club in the city.

Speaking on the occasion, former chairman of Power Development Board Nuruddin M Kamal said the politicians and bureaucrats who were responsible in signing anti-people agreements should be brought to book.

He also said the government's agreements with the foreign companies, inactive since 1990s under profit sharing, should be cancelled and those should be put under the jurisdiction of Bapex.

Commenting on the proposed coal policy of the country, he said it was aimed at exporting the coal. Law enforcement agencies should investigate the activities of the bureaucrats, who have been enthusiastic about it, he said.

To end the recent power crises, he suggested that the government should set up power plants, each having a capacity of 20 mega watts, in each of the 70 Palli Biddut Samity in the country under distributed generation policy. These plants can be set up within next two years, he said.

Saying that 85 percent of power plants are situated in the eastern region, Kamal observed that there is discrimination in power distribution between the eastern and western parts of the country.

Prof M Nurul Islam of Institute of Appropriate Technology at Bangladesh University of Science and Technology (BUST) said there seems to be no coordination among the different departments of power sector.

Saying that Bangladesh has highly qualified world class experts in power sector, he said no foreign adviser or consultant should be appointed while formulating national policy in the energy sector.

Member of the committee Anu Muhammad spoke about the perils of unwisely devised energy policy for a nation. He said existence of huge mineral resources does not guarantee development of a nation, rather it should be properly utilised and that is why a pro-people government is needed.

Convener of the Committee Engineer Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah chaired the dialogue while General Secretary of Workers' Party Abbas Ali, leader of Communist Party of Bangladesh Haider Akbar Khan Ranu and Prof Shafiqul Islam of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology also spoke.