Call for harnessing renewable energy potential in Rangpur
Speakers at a youth dialogue in Rangpur on Tuesday called for greater efforts to harness the region’s vast potential for renewable energy to address the ongoing energy crisis and ensure sustainable development.
The dialogue was organised at the hall of Beacon Natya Kendra at the Town Hall premises in the city to mark International Day of Clean Air and Blue Skies 2026.
The programme was held under the slogan, “Ensure Energy Transition, Build a Future with Clean Air.” DOPS Chief Executive Ujjal Chakraborty chaired the programme.
Principal Fakhrul Anam Benju, president of the Rangpur chapter of Shujan; photojournalist Ranjit Das; youth activist Azmail Islam; Begum Rokeya University student and entrepreneur Nurul Islam Naim.
NGO representative Zahid Alam James; youth activist Sabil Khandaker; youth volunteer Naid Islam; and student Sohana Akter, among others, attended the event.
Speakers said Rangpur, one of the country’s major agricultural regions, has been adversely affected by the recent global and national energy crisis. Agriculture in Rangpur and the Barind region largely depends on groundwater and diesel- and electricity-powered irrigation pumps.
Frequent load-shedding and rising diesel prices have increased the cost of farming and severely affected agricultural activities in the region, they said.
They stressed that Rangpur has considerable potential for renewable energy, which could be harnessed through proper planning, investment and community participation.
Young people can play a key role in influencing policymakers to reduce subsidies for fossil fuels and increase public investment in renewable energy, the speakers said.
They also suggested that farmers in char areas could participate in the ownership and management of cooperative- or community-based solar and biogas projects.
Local women can contribute to reducing air pollution by preventing energy wastage in households and agriculture and adopting improved cooking stoves, they said.
The speakers pointed out that Rangpur has extensive char areas and fallow land, particularly along the Teesta and Dharla river basins, where large-scale solar parks could be established. They also called for wider use of solar-powered irrigation pumps in agriculture.
The region currently generates around 22 megawatts of electricity from renewable sources, according to the speakers.
They stressed that reducing dependence on fossil fuels and shifting towards an environmentally friendly, affordable and locally produced renewable energy system is essential for ensuring sustainable development in Rangpur.
