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“We have made many contrasting policies in the past,” said Mehedi. “Previous energy policies predicted that we would need 40,000 MW by this year, but currently we only need 16,000 MW.”

“We should be exporting electricity, not having an energy sector dependent on imports,” he added, pointing out that multiple studies have shown Bangladesh can generate up to 30,000 MW of electricity from wind.

Speakers also discussed the risks of challenging various laws during the previous Awami League-led government.

“We could not garner the courage to challenge the indemnity clause of the law during the previous regime,” said Dr Quazi Zahed Iqbal, an advocate of the Supreme Court.

CR Abrar, executive director of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit, said, “We need clarity on how international agencies helped the state against the people’s interests.”

Speakers highlighted the need to document the political backdrop in which anti-people laws were drafted.

“Electricity is neither affordable nor universal, yet the general public are paying through the nose for it,” said Sekender Ali Mina, executive director of the Safety and Rights Society.