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Sunday | October 04, 2026 | Dhaka

Moyeen Khan calls for rapid solar expansion to ease power shortage

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:01 AM, 04 October 2026

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan on Saturday blamed corruption under the previous government for the country’s electricity woes, saying thousands of crores of taka were spent on projects including Rooppur without adequate power being produced.

“The public is now paying the price,” he said, calling for a rapid expansion of solar power to ease the shortage.

He spoke as chief guest at a review meeting on solar power, dengue prevention and development programmes, organised by the Local Government Division at the Cooperative Building in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) from across the country attended.

The minister said Bangladesh has a power generation capacity of 26,000 megawatts, but the previous government failed to use it for 17 years. National demand, he said, stands at 16,000 to 18,000 MW.

Solar energy, he said, will help resolve the “difficult problem” of electricity supply, adding that the prime minister has asked for greater use of solar power in government buildings. Initially, solar could supply 5,000 MW nationwide, which would meet the bulk of the country’s demand once fully implemented, he said.

He urged installing solar panels on the rooftops of union parishad and upazila parishad buildings and encouraged rural households to do the same. Storing surplus daytime electricity in batteries for night use, he added, could reduce reliance on the national grid.

State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam said the prime minister has begun using solar power at his residence. Over the past three days, he said, the prime minister consumed 1,000 units and fed 1,200 units into the national grid through net metering.

Mir Shahe Alam said the upazila administration has a vital role in delivering the government’s welfare programmes. Family Cards and Farmer Cards will be distributed to all families and farmers in phases over the next four years, he said, and fertiliser dealer licences will be issued soon after the dealer list is verified.

Dr. Khan said an elected government must work swiftly and effectively to meet public expectations. Representatives are elected for five years and must face voters again, he said, making accountability essential. Both officials and elected representatives, he added, should focus on serving the people and making the best use of limited resources.

State Minister for Public Administration Md Abdul Bari stressed honesty, transparency and efficiency in delivering services at the grassroots. He said honesty and professional competence are being prioritised in postings and promotions, and urged field officials to treat their workplaces as their own localities.

Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar and several division secretaries also attended, along with city corporation chief executives, local government deputy directors and municipal administrators.