Updates
2026 UPDATES
January 2026, Tarique Rahman, the leader of the BNP, the winner of the February elections, stated at a rally in Rangpur, that they would implement both the Teesta Project and mine local coal and that 'coal extraction in the Rangpur region could pave the way for significant development in the area'
February 2026 the Bangladesh Nationalist Party was elected to govern with a large majority. Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, was appointed Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. A long-time advocate of utilising the country's own coal, including through open-pit mining, he has been vocal in reiterating his stance on both these issues.
Mid August 2026 the Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, announced that a ’10 year Energy Master Plan’ would soon be presented to Parliament.
17th August 2026 the Finance Minister, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, declared that the government was finalising its national energy mix and stated they had to proceed with open pit coal extraction at Phulbari and other locations as they have no other alternative.
26th August 2026, attempts at generating local support against the Phulbari Coal Project, in the main by outside agitators, were muted with local press commenting that many locals understood the necessity for the country to develop the mine and were looking forward to seeing what the compensation package would be.
2nd September 2026 the Prime Minister, in Parliament, stated that the coal in Phulbari is among the highest quality in the world and its extraction would help solve the energy crisis. He also stated it was important that the affected locals be properly resettled, compensated and benefit from the project.
11th September 2026 the State Minister for Energy, Power and Mineral Resources, Aninda Islam Amit, presented a plan in Parliament to alleviate the energy crisis. He stated the plan rests on three pillars one of which was ‘opening the door to open pit coal mining’
24th September 2026 a senior official of the EMRD (Energy and Mineral Resources Division) outlined the contents of a comprehensive compensation package for locals in and around the project area. Under the contract locals will be facilitated with resettlement and rehabilitation and be offered jobs at the coalmine. A new town and villages will be built and developed with modern housing, uninterrupted electricity and reticulated water for both drinking and irrigation. Locals will be part owners of the coal mine and receive a share of profits. Land owners will lease their land to the mine and receive lease monies; after the coal is extracted their land will be rehabilitated and returned to them.