DHAKA, Nov 3, 2024 (BSS)- Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam today said the interim government has expedited the payment to Adani Power of India and paid US$ 97 million to the company in last October.

“We have expedited the payment to Adani. We paid US$ 97 million last month (October), which was double from the previous month,” he told a press briefing when his attention was drawn to a media report suggesting that Adani Power will suspend power supply to Bangladesh if the government does not resolve its payment issues by November 7. 

Speaking at the regular briefing at the Foreign Service Academy here, Shafiqul Alam hoped that the government would be able to make the payment to Adani at the shortest possible time.

“We will not be hostage to any individual power producer, no matter how powerful they are. From our side, we are trying our best to accelerate the payment. Our reserves have started rising,” he said. 

The press secretary mentioned that now the government is paying the international payments without touching the main foreign reserves of the country.

He held the ousted autocrat responsible for the payment backlog.

“The energy ministry is yet to receive the letter from Adani. If it is true, we would say we are dismayed and very shocked,” Alam said.

Deputy Press Secretaries Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Apurba Jahangir were present.