Speakers during a webinar on Saturday suggested long-term stable tariff structures for both electricity and natural gas to help investors craft a potential investment plan.
Otherwise, they said, future investors would not be interested in making investment plan seeing uncertainty or instability in power and energy tariffs.
The Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB) hosted the webinar styled, 'Electricity Demand in Bangladesh: Installed and Supply Capacity'.
Prime Minister's principal secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus was the chief guest during the virtual event where energy expert Prof M Tamim delivered a keynote.
Dr Kaikaus says the government is planning to suspend future parallel gas network expansion plan on economic consideration.
"We've reached 99.5-per cent coverage of electricity across the country. So, the parallel penetration of natural gas network won't be required now considering huge investment costs against return."
He said the country's future development would depend on the expansion of robust network of power.
Domestic natural gas should be used mainly for power generation instead of expanding its supply to industries and other uses.
If gas is used for power generation with highest efficiency, Dr Kaikaus says, it can meet energy requirement without investment in gas pipeline installation to provide energy to the industries.
He called upon power division for improving efficiency in the power sector to keep tariff rational.
Dr Kaikaus said the demand for electricity in rural areas raised significantly compared to urban areas during the recent lockdown.
He asks the authorities concerned to review the cost of power generation as it is much higher than that of captive power generation.
"Why is the electricity generation cost in captive power plants only Tk 4.5 per unit (1.0-kilowatt hour) despite the natural gas cost is Tk 14 per unit?"
Public power generation costs an average Tk 8.0 per unit despite the fact that it receives natural gas at only Tk 5.0 per unit, he added.
The keynoter Prof Tamim said Bangladesh should prepare short-term and long-term roadmap for its power sector keeping in mind the global commitment for zero emission by 2050 when power would be generated from renewable sources.
"Until 2050, gas could be used as transition fuel for power generation as it is still the cheapest primary energy."
Mr Tamim underlined the importance of promoting renewable energy as new technologies are coming up to reduce the cost of rooftop solar and other options.
Power secretary Md Habibur Rahman says Bangladesh has shared its proposal on regional energy exchange at the SAARC energy related meeting in Afghanistan.
"It will be a win-win proposition if the regional power and energy sharing concept is materialised," he adds.
Mr Rahman further said that all countries could be benefited under the proposed arrangement.
"Bangladesh can easily export its surplus electricity for the winter season while it can import for summer under the mechanism."
Bangladesh Independent Power Producers Association (BIPPA) president Imran Karim says the private sector can convert their HFO-based power generation into gas-fired power generation by introducing new technology to reduce the generation cost.
Industries will not shift to grid power if the government does not ensure low-cost power, he adds.
FERB chairman Arun Karmaker presided over the seminar conducted by executive director Shamim Jahangir.
Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board chairman Moin Uddin, Power Grid Company of Bangladesh managing director Golam Kibria, managing director of Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd managing director Bikash Dewan and Dhaka Electric Supply Company managing director Kausar Ameer Ali also spoke.
