In a joint venture with India, a power facility will be established in Bangladesh by 2013 in order to generate 1,320 MW.

According to reports, two coal-fired plants having production capability of 660 MW each will be set up in Khulna region, 180 km southwest of Dhaka.

A two-sided document before signing up a MoU regarding the matter is likely to be signed today.

The two nations also decided to set up a cross-border power grid, for which tenders will be invited in Feb and work order will be supplied in June.

The decisions were taken Friday during the second conference of the Bangladesh-India Joint Steering Committee on Power segment that was shaped during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi in January.

India's NTPC will conduct a feasibility research for the facility and forward details to the Bangladesh administration by July.

The project is likely to be finihed between 36 and 48 months of issuing the work order.

Friday's meeting was attended by Bangladesh's Power Division Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and India's Power Secretary H. S. Brahma.

"We want to gather experience regarding coal based power plants, since in future we will have to set up several such power plants to utilise the coal deposits of the country," Azad said.

Approximated investment for the power facility is $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion.

The cross-border power grid will take 2 years to be establish after the work order get issued. (With Input from Agencies)