Construction of the Madarganj solar power project on a Jamuna River char between Bogura and Jamalpur has missed its original schedule because of financial constraints. Work began in 2023 and about 60 percent has been completed, project manager Didarul Islam Didar said. Electricity had been expected to enter the national grid in December last year, but the project period has been extended until June 2027, with generation now expected in 2027.

The project is being built at Kaiser Char in Madarganj, Jamalpur, beside Uttar Shankarpur village in Sariakandi’s Bohail union. Land filling on 325.6536 acres and RCC block protection against river erosion have been completed. Workers are installing supports for solar panels, building panel frames and constructing power lines for the national grid. The plant is initially described as a 100-megawatt facility, with plans to raise capacity to 110 megawatts.

China’s CREC and Bangladesh’s BR Powergen Limited signed the joint-project agreement on June 13, 2023, with an estimated cost of $131.56 million. About 100 families living within the project boundary were resettled. Didar said large unpaid bills were preventing a faster start to generation. Local residents said they want the plant commissioned quickly because of load-shedding hardships.