The BNP-led government has initiated a major plan to make Bangladesh’s agricultural irrigation fully solar-powered. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, a policy decision is being prepared to convert all diesel and electricity-driven irrigation pumps to solar energy. The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) has been instructed to implement the plan, which includes a proposed five-year project from July 2025 to June 2030 to install 50,900 solar irrigation units across the country at a cost of about Tk 6,996 crore.

Field-level farmers have welcomed the initiative but raised concerns about technical challenges. Some reported that earlier solar pumps failed to provide sufficient water during cloudy weather or at night, forcing them to rely on deep tube wells. Experts and economists have supported the solar transition, noting potential savings in fuel imports, reduced carbon emissions, and long-term cost benefits for farmers.

If implemented effectively, the project could save hundreds of crores of taka in diesel costs annually and add around 150 megawatts of electricity to the national grid through net metering, easing pressure on Bangladesh’s energy supply.