He said this at a panel discussion of ‘Bangladesh Solar Expo’ organized by the Power Division and IDCOL at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center on Wednesday (November 4) morning. The State Minister said that the government has about 15,000 health care centers across the country, a large portion of which operate during the daytime. Therefore, to reduce dependence on diesel and move to solar power, an audit of all health infrastructure will be completed within the next 6 months to 1 year. Mentioning the assurance of bill payment, he called on private entrepreneurs to invest in hospitals.
At the event, the Prime Minister's Adviser (with the status of State Minister) Mahdi Amin said that a list of rooftops and surplus land for expanding solar power in educational institutions will be finalized within the next six months. Solar projects at more than 30 public universities are already underway. Meanwhile, Chairman of BMDA Agriculturist Md. Hasan Zakir Tuhin said that around 17,000 irrigation pumps in the Barind region will be brought under the solar network within the next year. This will save electricity bills of about Tk 150 crore annually.
At the panel discussion, Enamul Karim Pavel, Head of Renewable Energy at IDCOL, said that about 2,000 megawatts of solar power can be generated from the rooftops of government buildings, and easy financing arrangements are being made for private investors. In the event, moderated by Major General Md. Mahbubul Haque, Chairman of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (REB), Solaric's Director Engineer Nazneen Akhtar emphasized stable policies for long-term investment protection.