A social mobilisation held in Dhaka on 17 January 2026 consolidated collective demands for the cancellation of the draft Energy and Power Sector Master Plan (EPSMP) 2026–2050, placing workers’ rights and just transition at the centre of the national energy policy debate. Through the mobilisation, the Worker-led Climate Action Network (Worker CAN) amplified workers’ voices and underscored that any future energy plan must be grounded in social justice, employment security, and the meaningful participation of workers’ organisations.
The mobilisation was organised by the Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development (BWGED), with co-organisation from Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN), Ethical Trading Initiative Bangladesh (ETI Bangladesh), Re-Global, Safety and Rights, Waterkeepers Bangladesh, The Earth Society, and Worker-led Climate Action Network (Worker CAN).
Worker CAN participated in the mobilisation to represent workers’ perspectives in discussions on national energy planning. Ms Shehely Afroz Lovely, Convenor of Worker CAN, addressed the gathering and stressed that a just energy transition is not possible without the active inclusion of workers’ voices. Focusing on Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector, she highlighted the need to protect workers’ rights during the shift towards renewable energy and decarbonisation. The RMG sector employs the majority of the country’s formal workforce and will be directly affected by changes in energy policy.
Worker CAN is a platform comprising 13 trade union federations, including Akota Garments Worker Federation, Bangladesh Apparels Worker Federation, Bangladesh Garments Textile & Leather Workers' Federation (BGTLWF), Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers Union Federation (BIGUF), Bangladesh National Trade Union Federation (BNTUF), Bangladesh Revolutionary Garment Workers Federation (BRGWF), Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF), Federation of Garments Workers (FGW), Green Bangla Garments Workers Federation, National Garment Workers Federation, Sommiloito Garments Sramik Federation (SGSF), and United Federation of Garments Worker (UFGW).
Through its engagement in the mobilisation, Worker CAN reaffirmed its commitment to advancing a worker-centred energy transition that is just, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable. The network called on the interim government to cancel the draft EPSMP and to ensure the meaningful involvement of workers’ organisations in shaping Bangladesh’s future energy pathway.
Participants collectively demanded the cancellation of the draft EPSMP/IEPMP 2025. They called for the inclusion of civil society organisations, particularly rights-based and worker rights organisations, in future energy planning processes. They also urged an end to fossil fuel dependency and the development of a clear roadmap towards 100 per cent renewable energy in Bangladesh, emphasising that any new plan must be environmentally sustainable, just, and inclusive.
Organisers noted that the draft plan was prepared without consultation or public review. They stated that the role of the interim government is to maintain regular state operations, not to impose long-term policy frameworks with wide-ranging social, economic, and environmental implications.
