A legal battle over coal pricing and electricity tariffs has now crossed borders. Bangladesh has appointed a British law firm to represent its state-run power utility in mediation talks with Adani Power Limited over disputed charges linked to electricity imports from India.
Officials said the Bangladesh Power Development Board has chosen London-based 3VP to appear before the Singapore International Arbitration Centre. The firm has been advising a national review committee examining the Adani power deal for several months.
The decision follows the committee’s final report on power sector contracts signed under the former Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina. A Power Division official said, “Our move to appoint the British firm came as Adani Power initiated arbitration at Singapore International Arbitration last year,” while Adani has claimed about $485 million in unpaid dues related to the contested coal tariff.
Under the contract terms, mediation is mandatory but not binding before full arbitration begins. Bangladesh argues that Adani is charging coal at inflated rates, raising the cost of electricity generation. After the fall of the Hasina government on August 5, 2024, following violent student-led protests, the power board stepped up efforts to reopen talks with Adani.
Earlier this week, the review committee said it had found strong grounds for Bangladesh to pursue international legal action. “Money transactions took place between Adani officials and Bangladeshi officials, and the panel is ready to submit this evidence to court once legal proceedings begin,” interim energy adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan said. The evidence has been shared with the Anti-Corruption Commission for investigation.
The committee had submitted an interim report in November, stating that the interim government under Muhammad Yunus could cancel the contract if corruption was proven. The panel, led by retired judge Moinul Islam Chowdhury, also prepared a separate report on the Adani deal. A committee member was quoted by a state news agency saying, “But we believe you will get strong evidence of corruption when a legal process begins at home and abroad against Adani and a few other companies related to Adani who are involved in this corruption.”
However, jurist Shahdeen Malik warned that scrapping foreign contracts could trigger compensation claims of up to $5 billion.
Adani currently supplies 1,600 MW from its Godda plant in Jharkhand. Bangladesh cleared its dues with a one-time payment of $437 million in June 2025, settling bills up to March 31, 2025. Earlier delays had forced Adani to cut supply, but full power delivery resumed after payments were made.
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