‘Country’s first biodrying plant to be set up in Sylhet’
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam on Thursday said the country’s first biodrying plant will be established in Sylhet, describing it as a milestone that will revolutionise waste management and support the development of a circular economy.
The State Minister made the announcement while inspecting the waste management facilities of the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) at Lalmatia in South Surma on Thursday afternoon. SCC Administrator Abdul Quiyum Chowdhury accompanied him during the visit.
During the inspection, he visited SCC’s Secondary Transfer Station (STS) and reviewed the progress of the proposed biodrying plant with officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Mir Shahe Alam highly praised SCC’s waste management initiatives, saying Sylhet is much cleaner than many other city corporations in the country.
“I have visited SCC’s waste management facilities and inspected different parts of the city. Sylhet is much cleaner than other city corporations.
The corporation’s efforts to build a clean city are truly commendable,” he said. The State Minister also lauded SCC’s achievements in dengue prevention, cleanliness drives and canal restoration, expressing hope that the corporation would continue its efforts to improve urban services.
As part of SCC’s modern waste management strategy, the biodrying plant will use advanced technology to convert municipal waste into alternative fuel.
The facility is expected to significantly reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills while producing high-calorific refuse-derived fuel (RDF), contributing to environmentally sustainable waste management and the development of a circular economy.
Biodrying technology uses the natural metabolic heat generated by microorganisms, combined with controlled airflow, to rapidly remove excess moisture from municipal solid waste, sewage sludge and agricultural waste. The process produces fuel suitable for industrial use and is considered particularly effective for treating high-moisture waste, a common challenge in Bangladesh.
During the visit, SCC Chief Executive Officer (Joint Secretary) Mohammad Rezai Rafin Sarkar and Chief Waste Management Officer Lt. Col. (Retd.) Mohammad Eklim Abdin briefed the State Minister on the city’s waste management operations, the Secondary Transfer Station and the progress of the biodrying plant project.
Joint Secretary of the Local Government Division Md. Rabiul Islam, Waste Management Consultant Md. Shaheen Ahmed Khan, SCC Secretary Md. Ashiq Noor, Acting Chief Engineer Md. Ali Akbar, Executive Engineer (Mechanical) Lt. Col. (Retd.) Mohammad Ullah, Executive Engineer (Electrical) Joydev Biswas, senior SCC officials and media representatives were also present during the inspection.
