Nepal started supplying electricity to Bangladesh on Friday (Nov 15), marking the first time the Himalayan country has exported power to Bangladesh, becoming the third nation after India.

However, Nepal will only supply power to Bangladesh for one day this year.

According to a report by Chinese news agency Xinhua, under a trilateral agreement, 40 megawatts of electricity is being supplied from Nepal to Bangladesh through India’s power lines. Officials from the three countries, including Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Adviser Mohammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, virtually participated in an event in Kathmandu, where they officially launched the power supply by pressing a switch.

The trilateral agreement was signed in Nepal in October. Chandan Kumar Ghosh, spokesperson for the Nepal Electricity Authority, said that under the agreement, Nepal can only export electricity to Bangladesh for one day in 2024. The power export to Bangladesh will resume on June 15, 2025.

According to the agreement, Nepal will supply electricity to Bangladesh from June 15 to November 15 every year for the next five years. This means that Nepal's power will only be available in Bangladesh during this specific period.

As there is no direct electrical connection between the two countries, the electricity is being transmitted via India's transmission lines.

Chandan Kumar Ghosh also mentioned that due to limited transmission capacity between Bangladesh’s grid and India’s grid, Nepal is only able to send 40 megawatts of power. However, with the construction of more transmission lines, there will be potential for increased power supply in the coming years.

Nepal generates surplus hydroelectric power during the monsoon season and has been supplying electricity to India since November 2021.

BDST: 1934 HRS, NOV 15, 2024
MSK