The three-day Renewable Energy Fest 2026 began at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in Dhaka on Monday, bringing together youth groups, women’s organisations, labour communities, civil society representatives and climate action networks to promote a just and sustainable energy transition.

The festival is being jointly organised by ActionAid Bangladesh, BUET, Just Energy Transition Network Bangladesh (JETnet-BD) and BUET’s Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD). It is being held at the BUET Central Playground for the second time, under the theme “A Just, Inclusive and Green Energy Transition”.

More than 200 people took part in a rally from Shaheed Minar to the festival venue before a press conference announcing the event. A flash mob featuring 30 artists, organised by Surjodoy Youth Society, followed the rally.

The press conference was moderated by Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh. Md Abul Kalam Azad, Manager of ActionAid Bangladesh’s Just Energy Transition Team and Member Secretary of JETnet-BD, presented the festival’s framework in a written statement.

Other speakers included Professor Dr M A A Shoukat Choudhury, Director of BUET’s IESD; Anwar Hossain, Executive Director of The Earth Society; Nazmul Hasan, Managing Director of Hithium Energy Storage Technology BD Ltd; and Sanjida Sultana, Additional Executive Director of Karmojibi Nari and Dhaka Divisional Coordinator of JETnet-BD.

Farah Kabir said the climate crisis required countries to move away from fossil fuels and invest in innovation and renewable energy.

“Bangladesh now stands at a critical juncture where it is essential to think, discuss, plan, and take concrete action, with appropriate budgetary commitments, on inclusive renewable energy and just transition, with farmers, women, and marginalised communities at the centre,” she said.

Professor Shoukat Choudhury said renewable energy capacity needed to be strengthened to ensure future energy security, even as the country remained dependent on fossil fuels.

In his written statement, Abul Kalam Azad said the festival aimed to promote equitable policies and investment, build partnerships and establish practical pathways from innovation to implementation. He also expressed hope that the event would produce a clear post-festival action plan.

Nazmul Hasan stressed the need to strengthen oversight mechanisms to ensure the quality of solar energy components.

The festival is also serving as a platform for coordination among policymakers, businesses and communities at national and regional levels.

On Tuesday, 27 October, the Innovation and Technology Fair will be inaugurated by Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku, MP and Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

The inauguration will also be attended by Tobias Biermann, First Counsellor and Head of Section for Green Economy and Public Sector Investments at the EU Delegation to Bangladesh; Jacob de Leon, Second Secretary (Development) at the Australian High Commission in Bangladesh; and Farah Kabir, among others. Representatives from the European Union, Indonesia, Australia and Pakistan are also expected to attend.

The Innovation Fair and Technology Fair will showcase renewable energy technologies and services from local innovators and companies through 20 and nine stalls, respectively.

The Innovation-to-Impact Marketplace will allow startups and young entrepreneurs to present their business models to investors and banks, with promising innovations set to receive seed funding. Oxfam Bangladesh will also organise a dialogue on industrial decarbonisation.

Several dialogue and plenary sessions will examine national and regional challenges related to the energy transition. Topics will include energy policy and governance, renewable energy financing and investment, technological innovation and infrastructure, and social and environmental safeguards.

Experts from South and Southeast Asia will share their countries’ experiences, with discussions focusing on lessons for Bangladesh. Innovators, young leaders and partner organisations will also be recognised for their contributions to the renewable energy sector.

The final day’s speakers will include Shafiqul Alam, Lead Analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA); Engineer Md Mujibur Rahman, Director of Renewable Energy Development at SREDA; M Zakir Hossain Khan, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Change Initiative; Tanzina Dilshad, Programme Manager at the EU Delegation to Bangladesh; and Md Sabur Hossain, Additional Secretary and Chairman of the Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council (BEPRC).

The festival will conclude with a puppet show and cultural performances. Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed, Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), will attend the closing ceremony as a special guest.

The Youth and People Hub, one of the festival’s flagship attractions, will host dialogues, workshops, cultural activities, networking sessions and community events to encourage knowledge-sharing and collaboration among citizens, policymakers and private sector representatives.

Other co-organisers include the Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council (BEPRC), Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), Bangladesh Solar and Renewable Energy Association (BSREA), Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER), Greenery Energy Solution Limited, IEEFA, Oxfam in Bangladesh and The Earth Society.

The festival aims to bring together government policymakers, researchers, businesses, investors, civil society and development partners to develop a concrete, action-oriented plan for a just energy transition.