KATHMANDU: The proposed trilateral agreement on the cross-border electricity trade involving Bangladesh, India, and Nepal that was scheduled to be signed on Sunday has been delayed. As mentioned by Nabin Raj Singh, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation of Nepal, the delay in the signing was due to the Bangladeshi authorities being unable to attend the conference because of student protests in Bangladesh. At least 174 people have been killed as a result of the violent suppression of these protests.

The deal was originally scheduled to be signed during a visit to Nepal by India's Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Bangladesh's State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, Nasrul Hamid. The arrangement will be postponed, as Bangladesh remains interested in purchasing electricity from Nepal. Initially, Nepal plans to export 40 MW of electricity daily to Bangladesh during the monsoon season, which lasts for five months each year.