Government Eyes Power from Municipal Waste

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit said the government has placed special emphasis on solar power generation as part of its efforts to produce electricity from renewable energy sources and maintain environmental balance.

He said Bangladesh's power plants had previously relied on diesel and furnace oil. Later, they shifted to gas and coal, each of which has caused significant environmental damage. To protect the environment, the government has declared a zero-duty policy for electric bikes in the current budget. At the same time, it has adopted special policies for waste management.

The state minister made these remarks while addressing a joint event held at the Jashore Zilla School ground on Saturday morning.

According to the state minister, the government plans to develop city corporation and municipal waste management systems to a level where waste can also be used to generate electricity. The government aims to produce up to 10,000 megawatts of electricity from renewable energy sources within the next five years.

The event was organized to mark the launch of a ‘100,000 Tree Plantation Program’ initiated by the Jashore Education Board as part of the nationwide campaign to plant 250 million trees announced by the Prime Minister, as well as the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a 10-story academic building at Jashore Zilla School, to be constructed at a cost of 13 crore 9 lakh ninety-two thousand and three hundred taka.

Funded by the Jashore Education Engineering Department, the 10-story academic building is being constructed under the Development Project for Government Secondary Schools and implemented by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education.

Among those present at the event were Administrator of the Jashore District Council Delwar Hossain Khokon, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ashek Hasan, Chairman of the Jashore Education Board Professor Faruque Azam Md. Abdus Salam, former vice president of the district BNP Golam Reza Dulu, and President of the city BNP Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury Mulluk Chand, among others.