Bangladeshi power generation sees progress

• 13 years ago (2011-03-20)
• Junior Isles

North America 998

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Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said her government has been making relentless efforts to increase the country's electricity generation, aimed at encouraging foreign investors and resolving its perpetual power crisis.

"We need more power plants to raise the country's electricity production as foreign entrepreneurs have started arriving to invest in Bangladesh, taking the advantage of congenial investment environment," she said.

The prime minister said this after inaugurating the operation of two newly set up rental power plants and laying the foundation stone of another one at three separate locations in the district.

The two new plants are the 100 MW Shiddhirganj diesel-based quick rental power plant and 102 MW Madanganj furnace oil-based quick rental power plant. The two plants were set up in the private sector under a fast-track programme designed to resolve the power crisis.

During the last two years the government has been able to add almost 1400 MW of power to the grid, an achievement considered one of the major successes of the Awami League government.

The premier also laid the foundation stone of the 360 MW Haripur combined cycle base-load power plant, the biggest in the public sector so far.

Describing the power crisis as one of the major impediments to foreign investment, Hasina said her government has taken all-out measurers to raise the country's power generation declaring the sector as "emergency sector" and bringing necessary amendments relevant rules.

The PM said her government has, for the first time in the country's history, appealed for private power production.

"We came to power with many problems and gradually we have solved those," she said and expressed the hope that her government would be able to improve the country's power situation.

The PM called on all Bangladeshi's to maintain austerity in using electricity for overall development of the country.