Planning Minister MA Mannan on Thursday called upon entrepreneurs to invest in the solar energy sector saying it will be one of the main sources of energy for the countries in the future. Currently, important rural areas are being illuminated with solar power, and the government’s initiatives in this regard are increasing solar power generation rapidly, he said. The proper use of this energy source will further enhance the power generation capacity of the country,and to ensure its proper use huge investment in the sector is a must, headed.
The minister said all these while speaking as the chief guest at a conference on ‘Role of RenewableEnergy to Build My Village, My Town’at Hotel Intercontinental in the capital. Bangladesh Solar and RenewableEnergy Association (BSREA) organized the conference.MA Mannan said, “Our villages will become towns soon. There is no disagreement or controversy. As the country's technology and education are moving forward, the people of villages will also transform themselves.”
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“However, we can do it in a fasterand systematic way. The governmentis accelerating this transformation from inside,” the minister added.Mannan said the negative impacts offossil fuel have increased on the environment, which is very harmful to survive on earth.“We must take various initiatives to increase use of renewable energy and reduce the use of fossil fuels. There is no other alternative to it,” the minister continued. He further said the use of renewable energy is increasing day by dayin the world.
Bangladesh is also committed to bring progress in the sector. More than 55 lakh solar home systems (SHS) have been installed in Bangladesh, which is the largest SHS initiative in the world.“Currently, farmers are getting irrigation facilities by solar irrigation systems. Besides, solar streetlight has hasalso been installed in important places of rural areas. However, solar power generation is increasing by using of rooftop solar panels,” the minister added.
At the conference, the managing director of Vitti Sthapati Brindo IqbalHabib delivered the keynote speech. Iqbal Habib, who is also an architect and a city planner, said the invention of the solar stove system can protect hundreds of people from respiratory diseases caused by wood and oil stoves.
The invention of solar poweredfloating school can help enlighten theminds of children through education,he said, adding that through the start-up of solar micro-grid sharing communities can help each other withtheir surplus production of electricity.“On special occasions every year, we say we are going home, whichmeans even though our houses are inthe city our real homes are in theserenity of villages.
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And we must dowhat is necessary to keep our villagesalive and healthy,” Iqbal added. The conference was also attended,among others, by PM’s adviser onPrivate Industry Investment SalmanFazlur Rahman, chief coordinator(Sustainable Developments Goals) ofPrime Minister’s Office Abul KalamAzad, SREDA Chairman Helal Uddin,IDCOL Executive Director and CEOMahmood Malik, BSREA PresidentDipal C Barua, Dhaka UniversityProfessor Saiful Haque, andEnergypac Electronics Ltd CEO &Director Nurul Kabir.
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