Dhaka: Bangladesh and India on Wednesday agreed on the extension of further cooperation in the power sector which is likely to allow India to transmit 3000 MW of electricity from its north-eastern region to eastern region using Bangladesh as a corridor, official sources said.

The both sides expressed their keen interest in the 11th meeting of the joint steering committee on Bangladesh-India power sector cooperation that took place in Dhaka.

Bangladesh power secretary Monwar Islam and Indian power secretary Pradeep Kumar Pujari led their respective sides to the meeting.

According to the meeting sources, a wide range of issues for cooperation in the power sector was discussed in the meeting. The committee members reviewed the progress of the Rampal coal-fired power plant, import of power from Nepal and India by Bangladesh, the establishment of joint venture power plants by private sector in India and the import of more power from India through Bheramara and Comilla borders.

Sources said a technical committee placed an interim report on Indian plan to transmit 3000 MW power from its north-eastern region to eastern region through Bangladesh territory. While discussing the report, Bangladesh agreed with the Indian plan and expressed its desire to import 1000 MW power from the transmission line.

‘But this will be finalised once the detail and final feasibility report on the issue are available. The technical committee was asked to submit its final report before the next meeting of the joint steering committee scheduled for December this year,’ said a Bangladesh official who participated in the meeting.

The Indian side also agreed to export another 60 MW of electricity from its Palatana power plant in Tripura through Comilla border.

Bangladesh side also expressed its intention to import 500 MW more power from the plant in addition to its exiting 100 MW import from the plant.

The Indian side agreed with the Bangladesh plan to import another 500 MW from Indian eastern grid through Bheramara border in addition to existing import of 500 MW that is coming through this border.

The Indian side also agreed with the Bangladesh plan to import power from Nepal and Bhutan using the Indian territory. ‘India will take initiatives to hold a joint meeting of four nations, including Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan,’ said the official referring to the meeting’s decision.