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Bangladesh could generate 3,000–4,000 megawatts of solar power before next summer, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit said on Wednesday, citing growing public interest in renewable energy.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists after inaugurating a solar power system at the Jashore district BNP office, according to a handout from the Press Information Department (PID).
Amit said a 6-kilowatt solar panel system had been installed at the party office in line with the Prime Minister’s policy on solar power generation.
The system was financed by the office itself, with arrangements in place to supply surplus electricity to the national grid after meeting its own power needs.
The state minister said the installation cost was expected to be recovered within three to three-and-a-half years.
He expressed hope that the initiative would encourage other political parties to install solar panels at their respective offices, helping expand the use of renewable energy.
Amit said the government was providing policy support in response to rising public interest in solar power, creating opportunities for small entrepreneurs and generating new employment.
He added that irrigation pumps would gradually be converted to solar power, easing pressure on diesel and electricity supplies while reducing farmers’ production costs.
Local BNP leaders and representatives of its associate organisations attended the inauguration programme.
