UNB, Dhaka :Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said her government has a plan to set up solar-based power plants in Bangladesh to meet the country’s growing electricity demand.”We’ve already given highest emphasis to producing electricity from renewable energy and we’ve a plan, too, to build solar-based power plants to meet the growing electricity demand,” she said.The Prime Minister said this when Austrian Ambassador to Bangladesh Bernhard Wrabetz met her at her office here in the morning.After the meeting, PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Bijan Lal Dev briefed reporters. He said, the New Delhi-based non-resident envoy expressed his country’s support for setting up solar-based power plants in Bangladesh.In response, the Prime Minister appreciated and welcomed the Austrian assistance offer and said solar power is being used in the country in irrigation power pumps.Sheikh Hasina also emphasised boosting bilateral relations in the fields of trade, commerce and investment.She also requested the Austrian government to import more world-class products like garments, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, jute and leather goods from Bangladesh.The Prime Minister extended her sincere thanks to the developed countries, including Austria, for their assistance in facing climate change challenges by the developing nations.She, however, urged the developed countries to invest more in facing the climate change challenges in the developing countries.The Austrian envoy expressed his satisfaction over the existing bilateral relations between the two countries and said Austria one of the few countries which first recognised Bangladesh as an independent state.He also highly appreciated the steps of the government and the personal initiatives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after the Rana Plaza collapse on April 24, last year. “You have done a lot for the rehabilitation of the families of the victims of the Rana Plaza collapse,” he said.Wrabetz said, “We’ve a lot of common interests, including UN peacekeeping mission, as Bangladesh is the highest troop-contributing country in peacekeeping missions.”The ambassador put emphasis on increasing cooperation in technology development and renewable energy.Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin and PM’s Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikdar were, among others, present on the occasions.
