Alliance and Government of Bangladesh Ink Agreement to Expand Market for Cleaner Cookstoves and Fuels
A significant, new relationship was formally launched between the Alliance and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding last week in Dhaka. Bangladesh’s Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), Power Division for the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and the Alliance will establish a foundation for a market-based sector transformation and will scale up existing activities in the clean cooking sector.
The State Minister for Power, Mr. Nasrul Hamid, MP, spoke about the importance of creating market demand through innovative campaigns to promote clean cookstoves. He suggested building an energy efficient model village where rural people will benefit from clean cookstoves.
Also in attendance at the signing ceremony were Mr. Taposh Roy, Chairman SREDA; Mr. Arijit Basu, the Alliance’s Regional Director for Market Development; and Mr. Asif Ahmed, Head of Programs and Planning, SNV.
The Memorandum of Understanding is based on the Bangladesh Country Action Plan (CAP) for Clean Cook Stoves approved by the government in 2013. The CAP was developed through stakeholder consultation process and with technical and financial support from SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, the Alliance, and GIZ Bangladesh. The interventions in the CAP have been broadly categorized in the three priorities areas-Strengthening Supply, Enhancing Demand, and Fostering an Enabling Environment. SREDA will be the lead implementing agency of the CAP with other major stakeholders playing crucial supporting roles.