Current Conditions: Energy

In Bangladesh, as in many other developing countries, poverty and lack of access to energy are closely linked.  Energy in Bangladesh is indispensible for almost all economic activities, ranging from farm irrigation to the manufacture of goods by small and micro enterprises. Importantly, energy is also indispensible for attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Bangladesh.  Although endowed with natural gas resources and some good quality coal deposits, Bangladesh continues to reel from widespread power shortages due to a lack of investment in power generation and the inadequate distribution of infrastructure. While there has been some improvement in generation capacity in the recent past, the demand far outstrips the supply. The country can currently generate about 4500 megawatts (MW), while peak demand can be as high as 6000 MW.  With only 49% of Bangladeshis having access to electricity, the per capita energy use is only 180 Kilowatt-hours (kwh), which is one of the lowest in the region.

Nevertheless, the country desires to make electricity available to all by 2021. People in rural areas suffer more than those in urban areas from low access to electricity. Even those who have electricity experience frequent outages and poor quality power.