High Court issues rule on solar power pricing
The virtual High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir, issued the rule on Tuesday
The High Court has issued a rule asking why the inaction of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) in fixing the price of solar electricity should not be declared illegal.
Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir's virtual High Court bench issued the rule following the hearing of a writ petition filed by the Bangladesh Consumer Association (CAB) on Tuesday.
The court asked authorities concerned, including BERC, to respond to the rule within the next four weeks.
According to the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) Act-2012, the government agency is supposed to send a proposal to BERC to set the price of solar electricity.
CAB sent a letter to SREDA on 7 February this year asking them to send the proposal.
The HC has also directed SREDA to inform the court in writing within the next 60 days as to what action has been taken on the basis of the letter sent by CAB.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, who appeared for the writ petition, told reporters that despite the law explicitly giving BERC the power to set prices for all types of energy and fuels. They have not yet set the price of solar power and solar power producers in remote areas have been setting prices as they wish.
The writ has been filed to prevent arbitrary pricing of solar power, he added.
