Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged the people of the country to be extremely economical in using electricity and gas considering the growing demand of the energy resources.
“Your small cutback will facilitate others to have access to the electricity and gas,” she said while addressing a civic gathering at Ashuganj after inaugurating a 53-mw power plant constructed by Ashuganj Power Company Ltd at Ashuganj in Brahmanbaria.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stones of five other plants of the same company with a generation capacity of 1,376 megawatt of electricity.
Sheikh Hasina said when her government assumed office in 2009 the total electricity generation was only 3,200 megawatts as the previous BNP Jamaat could not add a single megawatt of electricity. “They even didn’t carry out the maintenance work on the exiting power plants.”
To overcome the huge shortage of power, the present government soon after assuming office started implementing short-, medium- and long-term plans to increase the electricity generation, she said.
As a result of prompt actions of the government, construction works on 55 power plants have been completed with a generation capacity of 3870 megawatts during the last four and a half years, Hasina said adding that the total capacity of electricity generation has risen to 8537 mw.
The premier said the present government for the first time in the country’s history is supplying 6675 megawatts of electricity every day to the consumers, and the production and supply are increasing every month.
Sheikh Hasina said construction work of 34 other power plants with 6951 megawatts of generation capacity is nearing completion and tender bidding 19 power plants with 3974 megawatts of capacity in under process.
“We’ve proved that every step of the government could easily be successful if it is implemented with honesty, sincerity, and patriotism,” the premier pointed out.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that her government has also taken initiatives to produce coal-fired electricity to minimise its cost. “The import of 250 megawatts of power from India will begin soon.”
Hasina also said initiatives have also been taken to produce electricity in a joint venture with India-Bhutan and Nepal so that Bangladesh could import electricity from Nepal and Bhutan.
Besides, she said, an agreement has been signed with Russia to generate 2,000 megawatts of nuclear power.
The Prime Minister said the present government is also encouraging the use of renewable energy and has waved import duty on the equipment of renewable energy in addition to providing soft loan for the purpose.
Hasina mentioned that 30 lakh solar home systems have already been inaugurated and about 100 megawatts of solar power is being produced in remote areas of the country.
She said the government has also installed 9,000 kilometers of transmission and 3 lakh kilometers of distribution lines so far and set up 20 grid substations for electricity transmission.
About 62 percent people of the country have been brought under electricity coverage with 32 lakh new connections during the last four and a half years of the present government, the premier said.
Hasina said her government made the country self-sufficient in food with bumper production every year through ensuring uninterrupted power supply for irrigation.
She said as part of its election pledges her government started the trial of war criminals and a number of verdict have also been announced. “The families of the martyrs along with the countrymen are now happy with the verdict.”
Soon after the country’s independence, she said the Bangabandhu government had started the trial of the war criminals but after the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu along with his family members the subsequent military government of General Zia stopped the trial process and released the convicted accused. “In this connection, she said that opposition leader did the same like her husband when she was in power.”
Hasina sharply criticised the BNP-led four-party alliance government for making Bangladesh a haven of terrorism, militancy and corruption tarnishing the country’s image abroad.
She blamed the opposition leader’s son for attempting to kill her through grenade attack on August 21, 2004.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is now recognized as a digital nation in the international community. IT facilities now have reached up to village level, and Union Information and Service Centres have been set up in over 4500 unions across the country.
She said the aim of the present government is to ensure education and health for all, improved communications network, and reach electricity to every household.
To achieve the goal, the government has made massive development in every sector, she added.
Hasina requested all to cast their votes in favour of the AL-led grand alliance in the next general election for the continuation of development activities.
PM’s adviser Dr Taufiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury, M Saydul Huq MP, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources M Enamul Huq, State Minister for Law Kamrul Islam, State Minister for Liberation War Affairs AB Tajul Islam, RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury MP, local MP Ziaul Huq Mridha and Power Division Secretary Monwar Islam also spoke on the occasion.
Source: UNBConnect