Abstract:
Energy Sector plays an important role in the development of socio-economic
condition of the country. The supply of electricity by Bangladesh Power Development
Board (BPDB) and Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (DESA) is mainly confined to
cities and towns. Rural Electrification Board (REB) distributes electricity to the rural
people through cooperatives. These rural co-operatives cover only 10% of the total
population. Only about 15% of the total population is directly connected to the
electricity supply. The waste material of plants, corn and animals, supply the major
portion of the total energy. According to recent statistics, 73% of the final energy
consumption was met by different type of bio-mass fuels (i.e. agriculture residues,
wood fuel, animal dung etc.), 59% of the fuel is used for domestic purposes, 13.5%
for small industrial products and 0.26% for non energy use; the latter is obviously
very small covering commercial, transport and agricultural purposes. Rural, remote,
coastal and isolated area development has long been considered as one of the maj or
policy objectives of the Government of Bangladesh because over 85% of the
populations live in those areas. In order to meet the increasing energy demand for
development of agriculture and industry and for the generation of better employment
opportunities, it will be necessary to harness all the available alternative sources of
energy immediately.
