Bangladesh Finally Pays Up: ₹3758 Crore Adani Bill Cleared, But Questions Remain
Well, it’s done. After months of back-and-forth that had everyone on edge, Bangladesh has coughed up the ₹3758 crore it owed Adani for electricity. And that’s not all—they’ve thrown in a two-month payment guarantee just to sweeten the deal. Remember when Adani cut the power last year over unpaid bills? Yeah, that was messy. This move doesn’t just keep the lights on in Dhaka—it might just keep India-Bangladesh relations from going dark too.
How We Got Here: The Godda Power Plant Saga
Let’s rewind a bit. Back in 2017, Bangladesh was desperate to fix its chronic power cuts. Enter Adani with a shiny new 1,600 MW coal plant in Jharkhand’s Godda—built specifically to feed Bangladesh’s hungry grid. Seemed like a win-win, right? But here’s the thing about long-term deals: someone’s gotta pay the bills. By 2022, payments started slipping. Currency issues, budget crunches—you name it, Bangladesh cited it. Then came mid-2023 when Adani said “enough” and flipped the switch off. Cue panic.
Why Pay Now? Three Hard Truths
So what changed? First off, India wasn’t exactly whispering sweet nothings in Bangladesh’s ear—more like firm reminders about contracts and consequences. Then there’s Bangladesh’s own power situation—blackouts make voters very unhappy, very fast. And let’s be real: nobody wants to get dragged into international arbitration. That two-month guarantee? Basically an insurance policy against future “oops, we forgot to pay” moments.
Where That ₹3758 Crore Is Going
Breaking it down—this covers all those unpaid electricity bills from 2022-23. No one’s talking late fees, but come on, money sitting that long never comes free. The guarantee? That’s like putting down a security deposit—Adani gets two months’ worth of payments locked in upfront now. Smart move if you’re tired of playing bill collector.
Bangladesh’s Energy Tightrope
Short term win? Absolutely. The lights stay on. But here’s the rub—every kilowatt from Adani means less breathing room for Bangladesh’s foreign reserves. And it’s got people asking: why aren’t we betting harder on solar or wind? This whole mess has exposed how shaky the energy supply chain really is when you’re depending on someone else’s coal.
Adani’s Next Play
Not surprisingly, Adani’s all smiles now. They’re talking about more projects, more partnerships. But you can bet they’ll be triple-checking payment terms from now on. This whole episode’s been one expensive masterclass in cross-border deal-making.
The Bigger Picture: India and Bangladesh
Here’s the interesting part—this electricity drama sits smack in the middle of what’s actually been a pretty good relationship. We’re talking trade, infrastructure, even defense stuff. Right now, India’s sending over 1,200 MW daily across the border. Both sides are eyeing solar and hydro projects too, which makes sense—fossil fuels are so last decade.
What People Are Saying (And Yelling)
Bangladesh’s government? They’re spinning this as “responsible governance.” The opposition? Screaming about selling out to big foreign business. Over in India, it’s being called a win for contract law. Meanwhile, newspapers in both countries can’t decide if this is about energy independence or just good old economic reality.
The Bottom Line
Look, this payment solves today’s problem. But tomorrow’s challenge? Building an energy strategy that doesn’t leave Bangladesh hostage to these high-stakes bill payments. As these cross-border power deals multiply, everyone’s learning the hard way—trust is great, but watertight contracts and backup plans are better.
One thing’s for sure: the next time someone suggests a massive international power deal, you can bet they’ll remember the ₹3758 crore lesson.
Source: News18 Hindi – Nation