About:
Mr. Siddique Zobair has had an illustrious career as a bureaucrat, serving the Bangladesh Government for 34 years in various capacities before retiring on January 1, 2020, as Additional Secretary. Immediately prior to his retirement, he was a Member of the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) under the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources. Currently, he works as a sector expert for both the government and the private sector.
With 24 years of experience in the energy sector, Mr. Zobair played a pivotal role in shaping Bangladesh’s energy landscape. He was deeply involved in the preparation of the country’s first National Energy Policy in 1996 and contributed to numerous other policies aimed at deregulating the energy sector, such as the Private Sector LPG Marketing Policy, Private Sector CNG Marketing Policy, Private Sector Lubricating Oil Marketing Policy, Gas Act, Coal Policy, and the Renewable Energy Policy 2008. His work also included the preparation of the Power System Master Plan 2016, the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Act 2012, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Master Plan 2013, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Rules 2016, and the Energy Audit Regulation 2018.
Overview:
Interview:
- While Bangladesh’s policies are relatively clear, there remains scope for improvement.
- The primary objective of moving towards RE is to ensure energy security, particularly by reducing risks associated with import dependency.
- A realistic goal for Bangladesh would be to achieve 16–20% renewable energy by 2030.
- The top three expected transitional outcomes include:
- Lowering capacity payments
- Reducing LNG exposure
- Achieving projected solar energy targets
- These outcomes are broadly aligned with current national policies. However, key challenges remain:
- Limited land availability
- High costs and financing constraints
- Weak institutional coordination
- A major barrier to reducing fuel import dependency is the lack of adequate domestic energy resources.
- Despite this, rooftop solar and energy-efficient industries present Bangladesh with two of its strongest growth opportunities for clean energy.
- The most important reforms for accelerating progress include stronger policy alignment and the establishment of clearer targets and roadmaps.
- The immediate priority should be reducing dependence on imported fuels.
- Additionally, there is a need to integrate worker reskilling, protection of vulnerable consumers, and gender inclusion into the energy transition process.
- Institutional weaknesses lies in coordination and it is important to address them.
- The most urgent action required within the next two years is to create storage linkages between energy policy and renewable energy targets, supported by appropriate financing mechanisms.
- Bangladesh’s greatest opportunities lie in scaling solar power and implementing energy efficiency measures across the industrial, commercial, and residential sectors. Conversely, the greatest risk of delaying or failing to achieve transition goals is the potential compromise of the nation’s long-term energy security.