A writ petition was filed in the High Court on Wednesday, asking for the cancellation of all power supply agreements between Bangladesh and India`s Adani Group.
The petition, filed by Barrister M Kayum, was submitted to the relevant branch of the High Court. The hearing is set to take place before a bench led by Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury. The Ministry of Power secretary and other government officials have been named as respondents in the case.
Earlier, on November 6, a legal notice was sent to the government demanding the cancellation of the agreements with Adani Group. The notice claimed that the contracts were "unfair and one-sided" and urged the government to either reconsider or cancel them. It also warned that if no action was taken within three days, a writ petition would be filed in the High Court.
The notice called for the creation of a review committee made up of energy and legal experts to examine the agreements and prepare a detailed report. The chairman of the Power Development Board (PDB) and the Ministry of Power Secretary were given three days to respond. After the deadline passed without any response, the writ petition was filed.
The 25-year power purchase agreement with Adani Group was signed in 2017, before any coal-fired power plants had started operating in Bangladesh. Currently, electricity is being supplied from Adani’s 1,600-megawatt power plant in Jharkhand, India, to Bangladesh.
At a National Review Committee meeting on September 28, officials decided to gather comprehensive data on 11 power plants. The Power Division has been asked to submit all relevant documents and information, including details about Adani’s power plant, for review.
