Khan Zahirul Islam, a development economist and lecturer at University of British Columbia, has alleged that Summit Group evaded taxes worth Tk1,100 crore and was involved in large-scale irregularities in the power sector under the quick rental system.

He made the remarks while speaking at a national convention titled “Energy, Economy, Human Rights, Reform and Referendum,” organized by the NCP Reform Implementation Committee in Dhaka.

Zahirul Islam claimed that hundreds of crores of taka were misappropriated in the energy sector between 2001 and 2006. He further alleged that Summit Group, which controls around 21 percent of the country’s electricity generation, benefited significantly from financial irregularities linked to the quick rental framework.

According to him, Bangladesh’s ongoing energy crisis is not due to a shortage of resources but is largely driven by corruption and flawed policy decisions.