The cabinet has approved a draft ordinance allowing public participation in solar power projects, as the government seeks to expand renewable energy capacity.
Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani said on Sunday that the draft Special Solar Power Installation Ordinance 2026 received both policy-level and final approval at the cabinet’s 25th meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat.
He said the ordinance would take effect after the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division completed its scrutiny.
“Solar power was very essential for us before, and now it has become even more indispensable,” he said.
The government has placed greater emphasis on solar power after the war exposed Bangladesh’s vulnerability to disruptions, with the initiative designed to encourage wider participation by local people.
Solar projects will be allowed on government and private buildings, as well as on unused land.
The ordinance provides for two models of investment: Operational Expenditure (OPEX) and Capital Expenditure (CAPEX).
Under the OPEX model, some participants would bear the operational costs, while the CAPEX model would allow investors to fund the initial capital expenditure and operate projects over the long term.
“The law has been formulated for this purpose,” Secretary Nasimul said, adding that the proposal had undergone several rounds of discussion before receiving approval.
Separately, the cabinet decided that Bangladesh would join the Rotterdam Convention, an international agreement governing the trade of certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides.
The secretary said the convention’s Prior Informed Consent procedure would help countries determine whether hazardous chemicals and pesticides pose health or environmental risks before deciding to import them.
The convention sets out a process for sharing information on the risks of hazardous chemicals and pesticides before countries decide whether to import them.
Bangladesh, which had remained outside the agreement despite its adoption by many countries, has now decided to join after reviewing its provisions, he added.