The government has initiated a nationwide effort to identify unused public land for renewable energy projects as part of its strategy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and strengthen energy security.
Under the initiative, ministries and state agencies have been instructed to submit information on contiguous and dispute-free plots larger than 3.5 acres to the PPP Authority Bangladesh. Agencies including the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), Roads and Highways Department, railway authorities, and the water resources ministry are currently providing land data for assessment.
The move follows directives from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to expand renewable energy generation using government-owned and unused lands.
In a significant development, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority and Bangladesh Power Development Board signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the country’s first public-private partnership (PPP)-based solar power project on public land.
The proposed solar plant is planned on around 412 acres of land at the National Special Economic Zone with an estimated generation capacity of 130–140 megawatts. Authorities said the project may incorporate advanced technologies, including battery energy storage systems.
According to officials, BPDB will act as the contracting authority for renewable energy projects developed under the PPP model, while BEZA will provide land support as the land-owning agency.
BEZA Executive Member Major General (retd) Md Nazrul Islam said the initiative aims to increase renewable energy generation by utilizing unused government land, while electricity generated from the projects will be purchased by the power division.
He also noted that BEZA is preparing a list of lands across its economic zones that are not earmarked for immediate industrial use, which could later be allocated for renewable energy development.
The initiative falls under the “Guidelines for Development of Renewable Energy Projects using Land Owned by Government Agencies under PPP Modality, 2026,” approved by the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
