Biogas Week 2011 begins across country

FE Report 'Biogas Week 2011' is being celebrated throughout the country under the aegis of Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL). The country-wide week-long celebration, which started Saturday, included rallies, cultural shows, baul concerts and discussions. As a part of the programme in the capital a discussion was held on Sunday at Dhaka Reporters' Unity where speakers emphasized the need for creating awareness on the use of biogas for national development, said a press release. Director (Legal) SM Formanul Islam of IDCOL moderated the programme while Nazmul Haque Faisal, Senior Programme Manager, IDCOL, Govind Raj Pokharel, Country Representative of Bangladesh, India and Indonesia, SNV, Rajeev Munankami, Senior Advisor, SNV, Tazmilur Rahman, Programme Manager, Energy KFW and Shehnaz Begum of Independent Television exchanged their views on the subject. The speakers highlighted various features of biogas as a renewable source of energy and discussed the high potential of biogas exploitation in Bangladesh. "Biogas can help develop Bangladesh by providing self-sustaining renewable energy at every village of the country, ensuring education for every child and thus eradicate poverty once and for all", the speakers said. In order to achieve this an extensive awareness programme needs to be taken up where media can play a vital role. The discussion part concluded with a question-answer session where IDCOL officials aspired to reach the target of setting up 0.15m biogas plants in the country by 2016. The Biogas Week 2011 formally ends on December 23.