Staff Reporter :
People of Gaibandha district’s remote area of Char Kabilpur, which is usually out of all usual communications and electricity, are gradually getting the facilities of electricity through a Solar Power Project being jointly implemented by an international social organization FRIENDSHIP and country’s largest development company Summit Corporation.
To supply solar power under the project named ‘FRIENDSHIP-Summit Solar Village Project’, an agreement was signed at Kawranbazar’s Summit Building in the capital, according to a press release of FRIENDHSIP.
According to the release, Summit Corporation’s Director Azharul Haq and FRIENDSHIP’s founder Executive Director Runa Khan signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.
In the signing ceremony, they highlighted details about the solar village in Kabilpur and its background.
Under Gaibandha, a 54KW solar village, which will benefit more than 1000 local community, is being established at Kabilpur in Fulchari with an area of 2,427 square meters. A total of 205 beneficiaries including 179 poor families and 26 shopkeepers of the village will get this electricity facility.
Apart from this, two solar pumps of five horsepower (each) for irrigation, local mosques, madrasas and schools are also coming under the solar power facility.
Authorities hope to start providing solar power facilities from the project in this year.
Earlier, another 54 KW solar power village was installed in 2021 at the remote char Goynar Potol of Kurigram district under the initiative of FRIENDSHIP.
Runa Khan said, “Anyone, who has seen the mighty River Jamuna in spate, will understand that grids are really not possible there. On the other hand, this solar grid will provide income generating opportunities and livelihoods, opportunities for children’s education.”
She added that electricity also contributes to the safety and security in the village, for example by preventing burns and other health impacts from kerosene lamps, and by providing light in the evenings.
Summit Group’s Vice-Chairman Latif Khan remarked, “At Summit, we are strategically looking into green energy. As part of CSR we are initiating this solar village with Friendship. In parallel, we are also studying commercial viability of solar and wind in Bangladesh with Copenhagen Offshore Partners.”
Summit Corporation’s Adviser Abul Kalam Azad said solar panels are being installed at a height of 5 feet from the ground to protect against floods. He also added that, Summit is spending about 1.5 crore on land lease, installation of solar panels and other logistics.
Summit Group Director and CSR Committee Member Aziza Aziz Khan, FRIENDSHIP Chief Finance Officer Muhammad Shamim Reza, Senior Director Md Kamal Uddin, Summit Managing Director Mozammel Hossain and related officials were present at the signing ceremony.
