Grameenphone Ltd, the country’s leading mobile phone operators, will purchase solar power to operate 140 of it’s off-grid base station sites, said a press release. Grameenphone Ltd. signed agreements with three solar power producing companies to this effect on Sunday (Sept 5). Under the agreements the suppliers will install solar panels on Grameenphone’s Base Transceiver Station (BTS) premises and maintain them.

Myanmar is planning to build two hydropower plants with a view to exporting around 575 megawatts (mw) of electricity to Bangladesh. Myanmar has assured a high-powered Bangladesh delegation of building two hydropower plants targeting Bangladesh. The delegation that included top officials from the power ministry and Power Development Board (PDB) recently visited Myanmar to discuss cross-border electricity trade, sources in the Power Ministry said.

Chevron Bangladesh and FIVDB, a non- government organisation, has signed an additional partnership agreement to start the third Alternative Livelihood Program (ALP) for the 1200 underprivileged men and women of Sylhet Sadar Upazila. According to the Chevron, this programme is a combination of skilled training and business input support for neighboring communities of the Bibiyana and Maulvi Bazar gas fields.

The Bangladesh government is planning to almost double the fare of CNG-run auto rickshaws. In response to strong persuasion from auto rickshaw owners, the communications ministry has formed a committee late last year for suggestions. The committee, headed by chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), is also comprised of auto rickshaw owners and leaders of drivers association.

The Energy Ministry has curtailed the authoritarian power of the state-owned Petrobangla following its chairman’s alleged unfair interference into the affairs of its subsidiary companies. According to official sources, a new office order was issued by the Energy Ministry making it mandatory for the Petrobangla chairman to take the concurrence of the ministry before changing or appointing any managing director (MD) to any such companies.