Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told parliament that Bangladesh added 35MW of solar power to the national grid while advancing renewable energy, social protection, digital services and development initiatives.
Bangladesh has added 35 megawatts of renewable electricity to the national grid through rooftop solar programmes and a net metering system as it advances towards its goal of generating 20 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2030, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told parliament on Wednesday.
The prime minister said the expansion of renewable energy formed part of a broader national strategy aimed at ensuring sustainable power generation and strengthening long-term energy security.
Responding to a question from Pabna-5 lawmaker Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas on the implementation of election pledges made by the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Tarique outlined a range of initiatives covering social protection, agriculture, healthcare, education, sports and digital development.
He said the government had introduced a monthly allowance of Tk 2,500 for women-headed households under the Family Card programme, which is based on the principle that the family, rather than the individual, is the core unit of development.
According to the prime minister, 60,044 families across 36 units have so far received Family Cards under the pilot phase of the programme.
Tarique also said the Farmer Card initiative was launched on April 14. Under its pre-pilot phase, 20,748 farmers have been registered across selected districts and upazilas.
He added that agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000 in the crops, livestock and fisheries sectors had been waived, backed by a budget allocation of Tk 1,567.96 crore.
On religious affairs, the prime minister said remuneration was being provided to staff at 4,908 mosques, 990 temples, 144 Buddhist monasteries or pagodas and 396 churches under a 180-day priority programme. He said the government planned to expand the coverage further.
Tarique announced plans for an e-Health Card initiative, which is currently awaiting approval. The project will initially be rolled out in five districts: Khulna, Noakhali, Bogura, Sirajganj and Narsingdi. It will be linked to an electronic patient referral and management system.
He also said excavation and re-excavation work on 666 canals covering 965.04 kilometres was under way across the country as part of efforts to improve water management and irrigation facilities.
The prime minister said a five-year programme had been launched to plant 250 crore trees and create green jobs. Around 3.14 crore saplings are planned to be planted during the upcoming monsoon season.
Among other initiatives, he cited the distribution of free school uniforms to 200,000 primary school students, the introduction of a “One Teacher One Tablet” scheme and plans to provide free Wi-Fi services to 2,336 technical institutions and 8,232 madrassahs within 180 days.
A committee is also working on the development of playgrounds nationwide, with plans to establish open fields measuring eight bighas in every union and 10 bighas in every upazila, he told parliament.
The government is further working to operationalise high-tech and software parks and facilitate the introduction of PayPal services in Bangladesh.
Highlighting sports-related programmes, Tarique said a sports allowance scheme had been launched for national athletes. The initiative is designed to support 500 beneficiaries and 300 athletes are already receiving assistance.
He added that 325 athletes had been issued Sports Cards recognising them as professional sportspeople.
The prime minister also said the ceiling for collateral-free student visa loans had been increased from Tk 3 lakh to Tk 10 lakh. Simplified procedures have also been introduced for students travelling to Japan on the basis of certificates of eligibility.
Tarique told parliament that the government had decided to recruit 500,000 public servants. At present, 2,879 vacant posts are being filled under the Ministry of Public Administration and its subordinate bodies.
