Giving a grim picture of Bangladesh's power and energy sector, Energy and Power Advisor of caretaker government Tapan Chowdhury Friday said that no new electricity generation is coming before September 2008, private news agency UNB reported.

He said that the country's only future option for alternative energy would be coal as the existing gas reserves are likely to be depleted by 2011 or 2012.

"If we don't have a new discovery of natural gas, then coal will be the only option," he was quoted as saying.

Such harsh comments from the energy advisor came at a time when the country is experiencing a worst power shortage. In recent weeks, power shortage reached 1,500 MW against a demand of 4,500 to 5,000 MW.

Experts in power sector feared the situation might aggravate further in the coming days when temperature goes up during the peak summer.

Tapan Chowdhury said the country would get 200 MW in September 2008 when a number of power plants would be installed.

Source: Xinhua