The government has set the goal of providing electricity to all citizens by 2021 and 74 per cent people have already come under electricity coverage.
“Currently, country’s 74 per cent people have access to electricity and this has been possible due to bold and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” an official of the Power Division of Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, told BSS on Monday.
He said the government has undertaken a massive capacity expansion plan to have 24000 MW capacity of power production in the country.
The countrywide electricity generation was 3,268MW at the beginning of 2009, and it has reached 11,265 MW. The power system has been expanded to keep pace with the fast growing demand, he said.
According to a ministry source, the government is expecting to generate 13,301MW electricity at the end of this year and has the vision to generate 20,000 MW with the aim to bring all citizens under electricity cover by 2021.
The Awami League-led government has achieved a number of successes in the power sector during the past six and a half years and the generation capacity has been more than double, the source said.
The source added Bangladesh has already achieved the status of a lower middle-income country and it would be a middle income country within the next three years under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Per capita electricity generation in 2009 was 183 kWh, which has been enhanced to 371 kWh.
The government has fixed a target of generating 20,000 MW by using 53 per cent coal as primary energy. Currently power plants use 41 per cent natural
gas as primary energy.
Besides, a huge number of solar home systems have been installed in the
remote and other areas for meeting the individual power demand.
The government has been importing 500 MW electricity and the system loss of
power has come down to 13.13 per cent from 18.2 per cent in 2009.
Furthermore, the government has increased the number of power plants and
expanded transmission and distribution lines.
