Nepal began supplying electricity to Bangladesh on Friday (November 15). Known as the ‘Daughter of the Himalayas’, the nation has exported electricity to Bangladesh for the first time, becoming the third country to do so after India.

However, Nepal’s electricity will be available for only one day this year.

According to a report by the Chinese news agency Xinhua, under a tripartite agreement, 40 megawatts of electricity are being delivered to Bangladesh from Nepal via India’s supply lines. Officials from the three countries, including the Adviser to the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, joined an event held in Kathmandu virtually at noon and inaugurated the electricity supply by pressing a switch.

This tripartite agreement was signed in Nepal last October. Chandan Kumar Ghosh, spokesperson for the Nepal Electricity Authority, stated that according to the agreement, Nepal will be able to sell electricity for only one day this year, in 2024. Electricity exports to Bangladesh will resume on June 15, 2025.

Under the agreement, Nepal will be permitted to sell electricity to Bangladesh from June 15 to November 15 each year for a period of five years. That is, Nepal’s electricity will be available in Bangladesh during a specific time of the year.

Because there is no direct electrical connection between the two countries, this electricity is arriving via India’s transmission lines. Chandan Kumar Ghosh noted that because the transmission capacity on India’s grid connected to Bangladesh’s grid is limited, Nepal is currently able to send only 40 megawatts of electricity. There will be opportunities to supply more electricity in the coming years once additional transmission lines are constructed.

Nepal generates surplus hydroelectric power during the monsoon season. For this reason, they have been supplying electricity to India since November 2021.