All under BREB to get electricity within Mujib Year

FE DESK
The Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) is working tirelessly to bring every household under electricity coverage in the areas under the BREB jurisdiction in order to implement the innovative initiative taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to turn into reality her pledge to ensure 'electricity for all' within 'Mujib Year', said a statement.
To fulfill the commitment, the work on total electrification in 462 upazilas under the BREB and grid areas has been completed.
Of the 462 upazilas, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already inaugurated hundred per cent electrification in 288 upazilas through video conferences. Preparations are afoot for inauguration of hundred per cent electrification in the remaining 173 upazilas, creating an opportunity to utilise power for socio-economic development of the country.
All these preparations were completed in December, the month of the country's victory.
At present, the BREB has more than 300 million (3.05 crore) subscribers, 80 per cent of the total power consumers of the nation.
Power connections were given to 23.01 million new consumers in about 12 years (2009-2020) under this government while only 7.8 million subscribers got electricity connections till 2008, 30 years after formation of BREB.
Now, people of remote offgrid charlands are also getting electricity. Work was completed in December, 2020, to bring some 1,069 villages of remote offgrid areas, including those in the country's only offgrid upazila (Rangabali of Patuakhali district) under the electricity coverage.
Electrification of the 1,059 villages continued in three phases.
In phase-1, work was completed in 646 villages more accessible than those situated in the remotest areas.
Electrification of another 384 villages is nearing completion while work was going on in the 29 remotest villages. It was also on the verge of completion.
Out of the 1.059 remote villages, 1,030 will be connected with the grid through submarine cable while the remaining 29 villages which are situated in the remotest coastal and hilly areas, and charlands will get electricity within Mujib Year, according to the BREB.
The BREB is implementing various projects under the leadership of its Chairman Major General Moin Uddin (retd). It is continuing its endeavour to ensure uninterrupted power supply for expansion and establishment of various sectors including agriculture, education, health, industry, trade, human resource development and ICT with the aim to build a Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.