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Bangladesh Looks Forward to a Future Driven by Renewable Energy


Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar organized by the Bangladesh Solar and Renewable Energy Association (BSREA), Salman F Rahman, the private sector industry and investment advisor to PM, said that the country is consistently improving its stance with respect to solar energy with collective efforts. “It’s time to think about ‘my village, my city’. This is our Prime Minister’s mission and vision. And such arrangements for working in this sector will give us important guidance,” added Rahman.

With electricity being the primary source of energy consumption for Bangladesh, the authorities have realized, and further emphasized, on the increased awareness and need to harness the potential of solar energy in near future. As increasing urbanization and economic growth pick up pace, the energy demand is only going to increase in the coming time and it is imperative that Bangladesh is well-prepared to tackle such situations.

The primary idea behind solar energy adoption is not limited to the optimum use of electricity. Its judicious use combined with the accessibility will help the government bring electricity to such parts of the country that are inaccessible for its grid distribution.

On that note, Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), a Bangladesh government-owned company, has pioneered the flagship initiative of solar energy in the country with the installation of more than 4 million solar home systems (SHS). Working in collaboration with international and local partners, SHS has successfully impacted the lives of rural Bangladeshi people with an improved lifestyle due to the accessible electricity. This can be attributed to Salman F Rahman’s statement that Bangladesh is the number one country in the world for solar homes.

Aligned with the government’s aim of country-wide electrification, the Word Bank has made a considerable level of contribution towards Bangladesh. In March, the premier institution approved $185 million to add up to 310 MW in renewable energy generation capacity in Bangladesh. With the financial and resource support to IDCOL, new projects and ongoing development in the direction of solar energy are speculated to receive impetus with the World Bank funds.

Dandan Chen, World Bank Acting Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, said, “This project will help expand renewable energy generation capacity. By leveraging all sources of finance, the expanded renewable energy sector is ready to push the country’s growth trajectory further.”

Although the aforementioned efforts are in the pipeline to improve the solar energy adoption, PM Advisor Salman F Rahman could simultaneously focus on the collaboration of public and private sector operations. This will not only cut the carbon emissions, but further help in utilizing the perennial support of World Bank, IDCOL, and other institutions.

That said, the present course of the country towards renewable energy with awareness seminars, investments, and government initiatives could collectively enable Bangladesh to achieve 100% electrification with substantial contribution from renewable energy.

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