We are living in the
21st century and we should be looking forward towards each other for cooperation for development. It is a very bright idea to build up this part of the world as a major transit region both for trans-border power supply and trade
Regional cooperation for energy security
The regional cooperation of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) for energy security is a field that can be actively considered for boosting development of these individual countries. This feature has been highlighted at a seminar entitled Energy Security in South Asia Plus Relevance of Japanese Experience in the capital recently. As revealed in this seminar, the potential of power from hydro-electric sources in this region is around 58900 MW of which only 2.5 per cent has been harnessed as of now. Besides tapping the hydroelectric power potential, there is also a great possibility of trans-boundary trade among these countries.
The cost of hydro-electric power generation is the lowest compared to the other sources and when the prospect here is so bright, the policy-makers of the relevant countries ought to positively think about it for power security in the future years. A power-starved nation cannot speed up the pace of economic development and it is needless to say that BBIN countries all have more or less deficiencies in energy production and garnering cooperation is this regard would be, it is needless to mention, mutually beneficial.
It is also pertinent to mention here because of this energy deficiency, countries of this region are lagging behind from the more advanced parts of the world. Therefore, the seminar has a strong point to convey to the respective countries.
But a very prospective venture like this can discourage a participating country if a win-win situation cannot be achieved for it. Unless this can be ensured, such efforts are bound to fail. For launching this type of action, it is also necessary to improve the diplomatic relations among
these countries, bilaterally or otherwise. Currently, Indias relationship with Nepal is not conducive for such an undertaking. It is also here worth mentioning that India earlier dropped its plan to bring gas from Myanmar through Bangladesh when Bangladesh demanded transit for importing electricity from Bhutan and Nepal.
We are living in the 21st century and we should be looking forward towards each other for cooperation for development. Keeping this in mind, it is a very bright idea to build up this part of the world as a major transit region both for trans-border power supply and trade.
