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At the outset, I would like to commend Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for adopting an unusually candid and responsible political approach to the country’s simmering power and gas crisis—a crisis for which his newly elected government can hardly be held responsible in its entirety. At a time when Bangladesh’s political culture has too often been characterized by blame games, denial and an unwillingness to accept responsibility, the prime minister has chosen a different path. He has directly apologized to the people for the suffering caused by the severe electricity and gas shortages.
That gesture deserves serious attention. The country’s energy crisis is no longer merely an administrative inconvenience. It is increasingly affecting everyday life, disrupting economic activities and putting enormous pressure on industrial production. Households are struggling with unreliable electricity and gas supplies, while factories are facing production interruptions, rising costs and growing uncertainty. For millions of citizens, the crisis has become a tangible burden in their daily lives.
In such circumstances, political leaders are often tempted to explain why the crisis is someone else’s fault. Governments frequently inherit difficult situations, and Bangladesh’s political history is replete with examples of administrations blaming their predecessors for problems that surfaced during their tenure. The opposition, in turn, often uses those same problems to attack the government. The result is a familiar cycle of accusation and counter-accusation, while the public waits for solutions.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman appears to have chosen a different course. Speaking at an event in Dhaka on Saturday, he said, “I sincerely apologise to the people for the suffering caused by the power crisis. I hope that, with Allah’s mercy, the gas crisis will ease considerably within the next few days.”
The statement is significant not because an apology can, by itself, resolve a complex energy crisis, but because of what it represents politically. A leader acknowledging the suffering of ordinary people is a departure from the traditional instinct of governments to defend themselves first and explain their limitations later.
An apology from the head of government can be interpreted as an acknowledgment that public suffering matters. It communicates empathy, but it also implies responsibility. Most importantly, it creates an expectation that the government will now act with urgency to address the problem.
Bangladesh’s energy crisis, however, did not emerge overnight. Its roots are deep and complicated. Years of weaknesses in governance, corruption, political influence, institutional inefficiency and questionable decision-making have contributed to structural problems in the power and energy sector. During the 15-year autocratic rule of Sheikh Hasina, the sector was subjected to massive corruption, monopoly, nepotism and mismanagement. Many of the institutional and financial difficulties confronting the country today are therefore the accumulated consequences of decisions made over a long period.
The present crisis has also been intensified by international circumstances. Rising fuel and gas prices, disruptions in global supply chains and geopolitical tensions have created additional pressure on Bangladesh’s energy security. The conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran has further complicated the global energy and supply environment, creating uncertainty for energy-importing countries like Bangladesh.
The new government could easily have cited these factors as justification for the current situation. It could have pointed directly to the previous administration’s legacy and argued that the present crisis is largely inherited. It could also have blamed international market conditions.
Yet Prime Minister Tarique Rahman did not make blame the centerpiece of his message. That is precisely what makes his approach noteworthy. Political leadership is not simply about claiming credit when things go well. It is also about accepting the public consequences of circumstances that may not have originated under one’s administration. By apologizing, the prime minister has placed himself on the side of the citizens who are suffering rather than positioning the government merely as a defender against criticism.
This is a rare political gesture in Bangladesh. However, an apology should not be mistaken for a solution. The people do not need only sympathetic words; they need reliable electricity, adequate gas supplies and a functioning industrial sector. The real test of the prime minister’s statement will therefore come in the days and weeks ahead.
If the government succeeds in easing the gas shortage and improving electricity availability, the apology will acquire greater credibility. It will demonstrate that political humility can be accompanied by effective governance. Conversely, if the crisis continues without a convincing strategy, the government will inevitably face questions about whether its words have been matched by action.
That is the essence of democratic accountability. The government should therefore treat the present crisis as an opportunity to initiate broader reforms in the energy sector. Emergency measures may provide temporary relief, but Bangladesh needs a long-term energy strategy capable of protecting the economy from both domestic mismanagement and external shocks.
Such a strategy should prioritize transparency, efficiency and institutional accountability. Procurement and energy contracts must be subject to proper scrutiny. Resources must be allocated according to national interest rather than political connections. Transmission and distribution systems need modernization, while energy wastage must be reduced. At the same time, Bangladesh should diversify its energy sources and accelerate investment in renewable energy where feasible.
Industrial consumers also deserve particular attention. Factories cannot operate efficiently when electricity and gas supplies remain unpredictable. Production losses ultimately affect exports, employment, government revenue and economic growth. A stable energy supply is therefore not simply an infrastructure issue; it is a prerequisite for economic stability.
The government should also communicate regularly with the public about the crisis. Citizens are more likely to tolerate temporary hardship when they understand its causes, the measures being taken and the expected timeline for improvement. Silence and ambiguity, by contrast, create frustration and distrust.
This is where the prime minister’s approach can have a broader political impact. Bangladesh desperately needs to move beyond a political culture in which every national problem becomes an opportunity to attack opponents. Some issues are simply too important to be reduced to partisan competition. Energy security is one of them.
Whether a government is led by the BNP, Awami League or any other political force, electricity, gas, food security, public health, education and economic stability remain national concerns. These challenges require continuity of policy and cooperation across political divisions.
The prime minister’s apology could therefore become more than a response to one particular crisis. It could serve as an example of a new political language—one based on responsibility rather than denial, empathy rather than arrogance, and problem-solving rather than blame.
There is nothing inherently weak about a leader saying “I am sorry.” On the contrary, acknowledging public suffering can demonstrate confidence and political maturity. A government that is secure enough to admit difficulties may be better positioned to mobilize public cooperation in overcoming them.
But humility must be accompanied by competence. The people of Bangladesh are not asking for apologies alone. They are asking for electricity in their homes, gas in their kitchens and energy in their factories. They want predictable services and an economy capable of creating jobs and opportunities. Ultimately, the success of the government will be measured not by the sincerity of its statements but by the improvement in people’s lives.
That is why the prime minister’s apology should be regarded as a beginning rather than an end. If followed by urgent action, institutional reform and transparent communication, this moment could mark a significant departure from the country’s traditional political culture. Instead of blaming predecessors indefinitely, governments could acknowledge inherited problems while taking responsibility for solving them. Instead of treating every crisis as a partisan weapon, political actors could work together when the national interest demands it.
Bangladesh’s power and gas crisis is undoubtedly serious. But every crisis also presents an opportunity for reform. The current government has an opportunity to demonstrate that political leadership can be both humble and decisive.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s apology, therefore, should be welcomed as a positive political gesture—but it should also be followed closely by the public. The apology has opened the door to a new standard of political accountability. The government must now walk through that door with action.
If it succeeds, this episode may eventually be remembered not merely as a prime minister apologizing for an energy crisis, but as a moment when Bangladesh’s political discourse began to move from blame to responsibility, from denial to acknowledgment, and from confrontation to collective problem-solving. That would be a far more meaningful achievement than an apology alone.
