May 15: Nepal-Bangladesh Energy Meeting is all set to be held from Monday. According to sources, the meeting to be held in Bangladesh will discuss how to prepare the necessary environment for electricity trade between the two countries.

Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire is leading the Nepali delegation in the meeting and Energy Secretary Habibur Rahman will lead it the Bangladesh side.

In a conversation with New Business Age, Kulman Ghising, the executive director of Nepal Electricity Authority, who arrived in Bangladesh to attend the energy meeting, said that a joint working group meeting will be held on the first day of the meeting, followed by a meeting of the Energy Secretary-level joint directorate committee of Nepal and Bangladesh on the second day based on the prime theme of electricity transmission and trade.

Officials of the Ministry of Energy have said that it will be a significant achievement if they can start electricity trade with Bangladesh even if it is only symbolic and will open the way for Nepal-Bangladesh electricity trade.

Nepal proposed to sell electricity from Likhu-4 hydropower project to Bangladesh. However, India's consent is mandatory for electricity trade with Bangladesh. The Ministry of Energy plans to start electricity trade with Bangladesh before the onset of the rainy season, after India gave permission to use its transmission line.

Sunkoshi-3 hydropower project will also be discussed in the meeting, which has already been agreed to be jointly invested by Nepal and Bangladesh.

According to the agreement, Nepal has provided a feasibility study report and an environmental impact assessment report to Bangladesh. As the private sector of Bangladesh is also willing to invest in Nepal's hydropower, the officials said that how to bring that investment will be discussed in the meeting.