Agartala/Guwahati:
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday said that Assam is willing to supply its surplus electricity to Bangladesh through Tripura, underlining continued regional cooperation in the power sector despite prevailing political sensitivities.

Addressing a press conference, Saha said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had conveyed his readiness to share excess power generated in the state. He added that Tripura, which has been exporting electricity to Bangladesh since 2016, could play a key transit role in facilitating the supply from Assam.

“At present, Tripura has an arrangement to supply electricity to Bangladesh under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2016. The term of this MoU will expire in March this year, and we are considering extending it further,” the Tripura Chief Minister said.

Saha’s remarks come at a time when anti-Bangladesh sentiment has surfaced in parts of India following recent attacks on Hindus in the neighbouring country. Against this backdrop, the proposal reflects New Delhi’s broader approach of maintaining functional economic and energy ties with Dhaka through India’s northeastern states.

Tripura currently supplies power to Bangladesh mainly from the ONGC Tripura Power Company’s gas-based thermal plant at Palatana, marking one of the first instances of cross-border electricity trade from the Northeast. With Assam emerging as a power-surplus state due to improved generation capacity, the proposed arrangement could further strengthen regional energy cooperation.

Officials said that extending the MoU and expanding the scope of electricity supply would depend on technical feasibility, commercial terms and approvals from the Centre. If finalised, the move is expected to enhance grid integration in the Northeast while reinforcing India’s role as a reliable energy partner for Bangladesh.