Bangladesh, Dec. 9 -- Some public agencies, apparently, feel that they have the liberty to be extravagant in the matters of utilising public funds. The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) is one such entity. It has been doling out the taxpayers' money right and left to the owners of a handful of private power plants in the name of 'capacity payment'.
The BPDB has disbursed more than half a trillion taka to private power plants, mostly the rental and oil-fired ones, during the past one decade, starting from the financial year (FY) 2009-10.
The BPDB, as stipulated in contracts, is required to pay 'capacity payment' to the private power plants for remaining 'idle'. The provision comes into force when the Board does make request to plan...