DHAKA : With a vision to build a sustainable, resilient,
and just energy system grounded in indigenous resources, the three-day ‘Renewable
Energy Fest 2026’ has begun in the capital for the second time. The festival is
being jointly organized by ActionAid Bangladesh, Bangladesh University of
Engineering and Technology (BUET), Just Energy Transition Network Bangladesh
(JETnet-BD), and BUET’s Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD),
and is taking place at the BUET Central Playground. The announcement was made
today, Monday (26 October), at a press conference held at the venue.
Themed ‘A Just, Inclusive and Green Energy Transition’,
the festival is bringing together thousands of representatives from youth
groups, women’s organizations, labor communities, civil society, and climate
action networks. Prior to the press conference, a rally of more than 200
participants was held at Shaheed Minar, marching to the BUET Central Playground
to raise awareness about the urgent need for renewable energy and a just energy
transition. This was followed by a captivating flash mob performed by 30
artists, organized by Surjodoy Youth Society.
The press conference at the BUET Central Playground was
moderated by Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh. The overall
framework of the festival was presented through a written statement by Md. Abul
Kalam Azad, Manager of ActionAid Bangladesh’s Just Energy Transition Team and
Member Secretary of JETnet-BD. Also addressing the press conference were
Professor Dr. MAAShoukat Choudhury, Director of BUET’s Institute of Energy and
Sustainable Development (IESD); Anwar Hossain, Executive Director of The Earth
Society; Nazmul Hasan, Managing Director of Hithium Energy Storage Technology
BD Ltd.; and Sanjida Sultana, Additional Executive Director of Karmojibi Nari
and Dhaka Divisional Coordinator of JETnet-BD.
Speaking at the press conference, Farah Kabir, Country
Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said: “Climate change demands that the entire
world move away from fossil fuels and shift focus toward innovation, discovery,
and renewable energy as alternative sources of energy supply. Bangladesh now
stands at a critical juncture where it is essential to think, discuss, plan,
and take concrete action, with appropriate budgetary commitments, on inclusive
renewable energy and just transition, with farmers, women, and marginalized
communities at the center.”
Professor Dr. M A AShoukat Choudhury, Director of BUET’s
IESD, said: “Energy is a vital component in every sphere of life, from our
daily existence to civilizational development and resource valuation. While we
remain dependent on fossil fuels, we must build our capacity in renewable
energy to ensure our energy security for the future.”
In his written statement, Abul Kalam Azad, Manager of
ActionAid Bangladesh’s Just Energy Transition Team and Member Secretary of
JETnet-BD, said: “We hope this event will give rise to an equity-based policy
and investment agenda, and serve as a national and regional platform for building
concrete pathways, from innovation to implementation, through investment and
partnerships. We also expect it to produce a clear post-event action plan.”
Additionally, Nazmul Hasan, Managing Director of Hithium
Energy Storage Technology BD Ltd., emphasized the need to strengthen oversight
mechanisms to ensure the quality of solar energy components.
The ‘Renewable Energy Fest 2026’ is serving as a national
and regional coordination platform, bringing together policy, markets, and
people under one roof. Tomorrow, Tuesday (27 October), the Innovation and
Technology Fair will be formally inaugurated by Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku, MP,
Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. Also in attendance will be
Tobias Biermann, First Counsellor and Head of Section for Green Economy and
Public Sector Investments at the EU Delegation to Bangladesh; Jacob de Leon,
Second Secretary (Development) at the Australian High Commission in Bangladesh;
and Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, among other distinguished
guests. Representatives from the European Union, Indonesia, Australia, and
Pakistan will also participate in the inauguration ceremony.
Following the inauguration, guests will tour the various
hubs and stalls of the festival. The ‘Innovation Fair’ and ‘Technology Fair’
will showcase cutting-edge renewable energy technologies and services from
domestic innovators and corporate entities, with 20 stalls in the Innovation
Fair and 9 in the Technology Fair. The ‘Innovation-to-Impact Marketplace’ will
provide a platform for startups and young entrepreneurs to present their
business models to investors and banks, with the most promising innovations
receiving seed funding. Oxfam Bangladesh will also organize a dialogue session
on industrial decarbonization.
On the final day of the festival, distinguished speakers
will include Shafiqul Alam, Lead Analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics
and Financial Analysis (IEEFA); Engineer Md. Mujibur Rahman, Director of
Renewable Energy Development at SREDA; M. Zakir Hossain Khan, Co-Founder and
Managing Director of Change Initiative; Tanzina Dilshad, Programme Manager at
the EU Delegation to Bangladesh; and Md. Sabur Hossain, Additional Secretary
and Chairman of the Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council (BEPRC).
Multiple high-level parallel dialogue and plenary sessions
will be held, examining the national and regional context of the energy
transition. Sessions will cover energy policy and governance for a just
transition; financing and investment in renewable energy; innovation,
technology, and infrastructure; and social and environmental safeguards in the
energy transition. Experts from South and Southeast Asia will share their
countries’ experiences, with a strong focus on drawing lessons for Bangladesh’s
own transition pathway. Innovators, young leaders, and partner organizations
who have made outstanding contributions to the renewable energy sector will
also be recognized and awarded. The festival will conclude with a puppet show
and cultural performances. The closing ceremony will be graced by Professor Dr.
Mamun Ahmed, Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), as a special
guest.
As in the previous year, the ‘Youth and People Hub’
remains one of the flagship attractions of the festival. Through dialogues,
workshops, cultural activities, networking sessions, and community shows, the
Hub will create spaces for learning, collaboration, and experience-sharing
among citizens, policymakers, and private sector representatives, empowering
people to actively contribute to an inclusive and just energy transition in
Bangladesh.
Co-organizers of the festival include the Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council (BEPRC), Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), Bangladesh Solar and Renewable Energy Association (BSREA), Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER), Greenery Energy Solution Limited, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), Oxfam in Bangladesh, and The Earth Society. The overarching goal of the festival is to bring government policymakers, researchers, the private sector, investors, civil society, and development partners together onto a single platform; and to produce a concrete, action-oriented plan in the aftermath of the event.
