The 3rd Bangladesh Energy Conference (BEC) took place between 6 to 8 December 2025. The Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development (BWGED) alongside the Coastal Livelihood & Environmental Action Network (CLEAN) organised the event with support from 16 partner organisations. ETI Bangladesh joined as co-organiser for the second time.
The conference brought together over 250 stakeholders, including government officials, industry representatives, experts, and civil society representatives, to advance a just energy transition
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Honourable Adviser for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Government of Bangladesh, served as chief guest at the inaugural session. In her inaugural speech, she stressed the importance of civil society as a pressure group and the need to collaborate in order to achieve targets. Her speech further called for a realistic and implementable roadmap as Bangladesh transits towards renewable energy and decarbonisation
Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Honourable Adviser for the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Government of Bangladesh Formally closed the conference on its 3rd day. His closing speech emphasised Bangladesh’s current energy reality where he noted that the transition to renewable energy needs to be gradual, where Bangladesh must slowly phase out its fossil fuel-based power dependence.
The final plenary session of the conference featured 7 representatives from all major political parties in Bangladesh, a major milestone in national-level energy and environmental discussions in Bangladesh. The closing session ended with the declaration of the 3rd Bangladesh Energy Conference, featuring a 13-point citizen manifesto. The manifesto demanded an evidence-based national energy policy, anti-corruption reforms, greater use of local experts in planning, and rapid renewable energy expansion before the upcoming 2026 elections.
Following past themes such as policy, finance, and partnerships, this 3rd iteration of the BEC explicitly integrated sectoral decarbonisation across all themes, with one parallel session exclusively on “Industrial Decarbonisation in Bangladesh.” ETI Bangladesh led this session, featuring a keynote presentation on enabling partnerships towards decarbonisation and a renewable energy transition in Bangladesh RMG.
Guest speakers in the session included representatives from the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BKMEA), trade union federations, global apparels brands & ready-made garments (RMG) senior management.
Dr. Kazi Maruful Islam, Convener of the Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development, chaired the session. His closing remarks echoed the need for a collaborative approach and effective partnerships to ensure industrial decarbonisation. Additionally, he highlighted the increasing advent of automation in sector such as RMG, stressing the importance of ensuring such industrial transitions do not leave workers behind as they form the core of any industry.
Ms. Shehely Afroz Lovely of the United Federation of Garments Workers (UFGW) & Convenor of the Worker-led Climate Action network (Worker CAN) echoed this sentiment emphasising how workers are at the forefront of any major industrial change, where they need to be included in discussions and armed as change agents themselves.
Similarly, Abil Bin Amin, Executive Director at ETI Bangladesh focused on what a just transition means in his solidarity speech during the inaugural session. While commending the inclusion of the term just transition in the 3rds Nationally Determined Contributions, he stressed that when Bangladesh eventually phases out from fossil fuels to renewables, workers should not be left behind amid this transition.
Munir Uddin Shamim, Director of Programme Evidence and Learning, at ETI Bangladesh chaired a session on the role of domestic banks in energy transition.
Shamim also spoke at the session on bilateral cooperation for energy security and justice, where he called for worker vulnerability assessments when planning remedial measures in frameworks, aligning with the UN Guiding Principles.
This 3-day conference featured 10 parallel sessions and 3 plenary sessions, including the Inaugural Program, Pathways Session and Closing Program. Major themes of this year’s conference where: Coherent energy policies that align with decarbonisation goals across sectors; Institutional Capacities and Coordination for a Green Transition; Climate and sustainable finance tailored to sectoral needs; Regional and multilateral cooperation on green energy and development; and Just and inclusive environmental and social outcomes in the transition.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks from Dr. Kazi Maruful Islam, Convener of the Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development.
ETI Bangladesh continues its engagement in just and resilient green energy initiatives that include worker rights.
