Bangladesh attains great success in energy sector | The Asian Age Online, Bangladesh
Bangladesh has attained outstanding success in the field of energy sector. Its electrification coverage reached 93 percent. The World Bank in its just published Energy Progress Report 2019 mentioned that among countries with the largest population without access to electricity, Bangladesh, Kenya, Myanmar, and Sudan have made the most progress, as per agencies. It said global electrification rate reached 89 percent; the number of people without electricity access dropped to around 840 million, compared to 1 billion in 2016 and 1.2 billion in 2010.
But, the Awami League government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attained tremendous success in power and energy sector because of the realistic roadmap for this sector with an aim to reach power to every household by 2021. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid recently said access to quality and reliable electricity is no more a dream as the country’s 93 percent people are now getting power, which was only 47 percent before 2009.
According to power cell data, currently the power generation capacity of Bangladesh stood at 21,419 MW with power connections increasing to 3.32 crore while the number of power plants reached to 130. The Energy Progress Report 2019 showed that despite the progress, reaching the remaining unnerved people, including those connected to frail and overburdened urban grids, as well as displaced people, and hard-to-reach locations, will be challenging. An estimated 650 million people will be left without electricity access in 2030.
The report tracks global, regional and country progress on the three targets of SDG7: access to energy and clean cooking, renewable energy and energy efficiency. It identifies priorities for action and best practices that have proven successful in helping policymakers and development partners understand what is needed to overcome challenges.
Among countries with the largest population without access to electricity, Bangladesh, Kenya, Myanmar, and Sudan have made the most progress. Among the least electrified countries, South Sudan, Guinea-Bissau and Central African Republic electrified at around 3 percentage points each year since 2010. Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Nepal are currently among the fastest electrifying countries.