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Published on March 21, 2015
"Currently, country's 70 per cent people have access to electricity and this has been possible due to bold and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," an official of the ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral resources told BSS.
He said the electricity generation reached 11,265MW from 3,268MW in 2009, adding, "The government has given top priority to the development of the sector considering its importance in the overall development of the country."
According to a ministry source, the government is expecting to generate 13,301MW electricity at the end of this year and it has the vision to generate 20,000 MW with the aim to bring all citizens under electricity cover by 2021.
The Awami League-led government has achieved a number of successes in the power sector during the past six years and the generation capacity has been more than double, the source said.
It added the government has a long vision of serving the country's people and lead the country to a middle-income one by 2021 under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
According to Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) per capita electricity generation in 2009 was 183 kWh, which has been enhanced to 321 kWh per annum (including captive generation).
The country has achieved a benchmark of 13,000 MW of installed capacity of power generation and it is now ready to generate 10,000 MW of power against a demand for 8,000 MW in the coming summer, the ministry source said.
The under- construction power plants would go into operation this year. The government has fixed a target of generating 20,000 MW by using 53 per cent coal as primary energy. Currently power plants use 41 per cent natural gas as primary energy.
Besides, a huge number of solar home systems have been installed in the remote and other areas for meeting the individual power demand.
Recently Indian Reliance Group has offered Bangladesh an investment of US$ 1.5 billion in the power sector which would be gradually raised to US$3 billion. The investor company would also set up an LNG-based power plant having 750-MW capacity in the first phase.
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