Implementation of Sheikh Hasina's Manifesto: 100% Electrification with Improvement of People's Economic Life

We got our freedom as Bangabandhu promised to free the Bengali nation from slavery. The country was later plunged into darkness due to military and civilian dictatorship. However, Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu, promised to bring this country back to the path of prosperity by overcoming the darkness. Therefore, before the 2008 general election, she announced the Charter for Change that gave the roadmap to change the country through the development of the power sector. The government, with its relentless efforts, has implemented the pledges in the last 12 years.

If you go to every village, you will see the light, modern farming and internet-based employment using the benefits of electricity. But just 12 years ago, even big cities were plunged into the darkness of load shedding. Yes, it is the radical change in the power sector that has turned Bangladesh into a digital country from a 'bottomless basket'.

Among all other development activities, the power sector has witnessed the biggest infrastructural development in the last 12 years. As a result, digitalized Bangladesh is now attracting foreign investment in a new way. Electricity is not only changing the country's economy, it is also making people of all walks of life self-reliant.

What Was in the 2008 Election Manifesto?

Let's see what Bangladesh Awami League said in its 2008 election manifesto. The party promised the people that a long-term comprehensive energy policy would be adopted to mitigate the power and energy crisis. Every source of energy including oil, gas, coal, hydropower, biogas, wind and solar energy will be ensured. Regional energy security measures will be developed. Under a three-year crash program quick implementation of ongoing and under consideration power generation stations, arranging 100/150-megawatt gas turbine projects on an urgent basis, and the reactivation of the past AL initiatives for constructing 10, 20 and 30-megawatt power stations under the private sector will be undertaken. A schedule for repair, maintenance and overhauling or salvaging of old power stations will be made to increase and stabilize power production. The Rooppur Nuclear Power Project will be implemented. In the next three years or by 2011 power production will be increased to 5000 megawatts and by 2013 it will be further increased to 7000 megawatts.

What are the Achievements in One Era:

Almost all the election pledges made by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 12 years ago have been fulfilled and ordinary people are getting the benefits. Only 47 per cent of the country's population had access to electricity even when the incumbent Prime Minister took office in 2009. Public life was disrupted due to regular load shedding. Due to this miserable condition of the power sector, big industries were suffering on one side and, on the other side, it was not possible to take any initiative even for the small and medium scale.

But in the last decade, the situation has changed completely. Now 100 per cent of the country’s population have access to electricity. And as a result of this change in the power sector, the backbone of the country's economy has begun to strengthen. The success of the power sector as a whole has led to positive growth in small and medium enterprises. Due to the economic development caused by electrification, Bangladesh has already evolved from a least developed to a developing country.

A study by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) states that increasing power generation per million kilowatt-hours in Bangladesh can contribute to the overall production – worth around Tk 46 million to Tk 107 million (fixed at 1995/96) in the macro-economy. According to the study, the contribution of additional electricity – generated by Quick Rental – to the GDP in 2011-12 increased from around Tk 23,312 crore to Tk 1,21,168 crore (considering the value of 2011-12). Accordingly, in the last nine years (from 2008-09 to 2016-17), a total of 3, 57, 982 million kilowatt-hours of electricity has been generated, resulting in an increase in production worth around Tk 38, 30, 407 crores in the macro-economy.

How Electricity Has Changed People's Economic Lives:

To understand how the benefits of electricity have changed the fortunes of people in remote villages, one has to look at the differences between the past and present conditions of life in remote areas. We are presenting three such case studies from marginalized people in the Chalan Beel area of Natore.

The communication system here is quite fragile like any other swamp area across the country. But yet, access to electricity has revived the local economy through agriculture, health and new initiatives.

Sarkar Ataur Rahman is a village doctor. He lives in a remote area in the bill. His house is completely surrounded by water during the monsoon season but remains barren fields in the dry season. He used to live just like a poster of a living person. But now life has become meaningful to him. The presence of electricity has changed his life.

Asked about how the electricity has benefitted him, Ataur Rahman said, "Life has gained momentum. The standard of living has also improved a lot. Instead of hurricane light, electric lights have lit up the area.”

Being a village doctor, Ataur Rahman has to stand by the side of people at night. He feels much more comfortable seeing patients now than in the dark. Even if I had heard of a dying patient, it might not have been possible to go because of the darkness. But now he can see patients any time with the advent of electric light. He also cultivates his land using electricity. He had to pay Tk 60,000- Tk 70,000 extra to cultivate the land with the diesel-powered irrigation pump every season. Now electricity has reduced the cost of electric irrigation pump to Tk 5,000 in one agricultural season. That is why he is now getting more benefits from agricultural production, said Ataur Rahman.

Ripon Hossain is a resident of Sat Pakuria area of Chalan Beel, Natore. Once upon a time, he used to work in a lathe machine in the city, far away from home. As electricity has reached his area through Chalan Beel, Ripon quit working in another person's shop in the city, rather he now has set up a lathe shop in his village market. He works in two shifts till midnight. At this, now he can both save his time and increase his income. Ripon Hossain can send his children to school because he is self-sufficient now.

Daulat Hossain is another educated young entrepreneur in the Chalan Beel area. Once he struggled for a job but he changed his mission after the electricity reached the Chalon Beel. He has started farming as an independent profession. Besides being self-reliant, he has also been able to create jobs for others. His poultry farm now has about 50,000 chickens and he breeds more than 50,000 chickens from his own hatchery every month. Such a great initiative of Daulat Hossain would not have started if electricity had not come to this area. One hundred per cent electrification projects of the government have created innumerable new entrepreneurs all over the country.

In addition, the hundred per cent electrification also has a very positive effect on overall education and health system. The poor students of the village used to stop studying in the evening while the well-off students could burn kerosene for some time to study at night. But with access to affordable electricity, social inequality has now been reduced. Low-income people are also able to educate their children. And every year, students from these remote areas are getting admitted to universities for higher studies.

Even the establishment of health centres in rural areas has increased the service for pregnant women, and reduced infant and maternal mortality by more than half. The rate of malnutrition is decreasing which helps to grow up a healthy and strong new generation.

Daulat Hossain has proved himself as a successful entrepreneur since the advent of electricity in his area. Just like him, in every village of the country, millions of people have become self-reliant today by starting poultry and fish farms. Bangladesh has passed the time of hunger and recession as internet-based employment is being created from house to house to increase people’s solvency. The people of the country are changing their destiny with the benefit of the infrastructure that the Prime Minister is creating, and thus the whole country is changing towards development.