PM: Every household will have access to electricity

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said her government is working relentlessly to ensure every household, nationwide, can access electricity.

“The government is working to present a different Bangladesh on the celebration of the golden jubilee of independence in 2021,” she said while inaugurating six power plants and nine grid substations on Wednesday.

Due to this initiative, as much as 1,062MW of electricity has been added to Bangladesh’s national grid.

The premier opened the power plants and grid substations via videoconference from her official Ganabhaban residence, in Dhaka, on Wednesday morning.

At the same function, Sheikh Hasina also launched the power supply to Sandwip upazila in Chittagong via submarine cable—the first of its kind in Bangladesh—and the 100% electrification of 12 upazilas.

The six power plants inaugurated by the prime minister are the: Sirajganj 282MW Simple Cycle Power Plant, Bhola 225MW Combined Cycle Power Plant, Chandpur 200MW Power Plant, Ashuganj 150MW Power Plant, Rupsha105MW Power Plantin Khulna, and Julda100MW Power Plant (3rd unit) in Chittagong.

The nine grid substations are: Ramganj, Barisal (North), Baroiyerhat, Shikalbaha, Jaldhaka, Sunamganj, Bianibazar, Rangamati, and Matarbari.

The 12 upazilas which came under 100% power coverage are: Harinakundu, Thakurgaon Sadar, Baliadangi, Goalanda, Kalukhali, Bamna, Lakhai, Shaistaganj, Ajmiriganj, Bahubal, Melandah, and Islampur.

According to officials of the power ministry, a total of 306 upazilas have so far been brought under the 100% electricity coverage plan.

Of them, 100% electrification has been inaugurated in 263 upazilas, and will be launched in the remaining 43 upazilas by June this year, the officials said.

The prime minister’s Energy Adviser Dr Towfik-e-Elahi Chowdhury and State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid Bipu spoke at the function.

Power Division Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus gave an overview of overall development in the power sector, while the prime minister’s Principal Secretary, Dr Nojibur Rahman, moderated the function.

Dr Kaikaus said as many as 92% of people have been brought under electricity coverage, and Bangladesh has achieved the capability to produce 20,854MW of electricity.

“Bangladesh has now been turned into a power surplus country from a deficit one, thanks to the inauguration of 100 new power plants over the last 10 years,” he said.

Former ministers and Awami League senior leaders Tofail Ahmed and Mosharraf Hossain; former state minister Mirza Azam; ex-deputy minister Abdullah Islam Al Jakob; and parliament members of the areas concerned were present at the Ganabhaban.