Due to the rising cost of imported fuel, the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) is evaluating different power sources for irrigation pumps. This report reviews studies and government policies affecting the choice between electric and diesel power. A review of engineering and cost studies shows electricity to be more economical than diesel fuel for shallow and deep tube wells and for low-lift pumps. On the policy level, the GOB is promoting the use of electricity because it can be generated by natural gas, a locally available resource. There are problems, however, with the reliability of electricity in rural areas and with the security of local lines. Guidelines for choosing between diesel and electricity focus on using electricity whenever possible (e.g., for tube wells and stable low-lift pumps), fitting diesel pumps for future conversion to electricity, and coordinating activities of planning agencies in order to ensure the availability of electricity for particular projects. A final section discusses the potentially dramatic savings that could result from substituting liquid petroleum gas (LPG) for diesel in irrigation pumping, once Bangladesh becomes capable of separating LPG's from natural gases.