The study must protect Louis I Kahn’s design and the complex’s biodiversity.
UNB
15 October, 2026, 06:15 pm
Last modified: 15 October, 2026, 06:20 pm
A parliamentary panel has decided to conduct a feasibility study on installing solar panels at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex, stressing that the project must not compromise the original architectural design by Louis I Kahn or affect the ecological balance and biodiversity of the area.
The decision was taken at the committee's first meeting at the Parliament building today (15 October), chaired by Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal, also the committee convener.
The meeting discussed assessing the total electricity demand of the Parliament building and its premises, reducing power consumption and system losses, and identifying suitable open spaces for installing solar panels.
The committee decided to prepare a map identifying potential sites for solar installations and develop a three-dimensional (3D) animation of the proposed plan for presentation at its next meeting.
It also recommended that the feasibility of the installations be assessed by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) or another reputed institution to ensure that the building's original architectural design and the ecological balance of the premises remain intact.
A subcommittee comprising MPs Md Ashraf Uddin, Luthfullahel Mazed and Mardia Mumtaz was formed to examine the overall feasibility of the proposed installations and prepare a report.
Officials from the Parliament Secretariat, the Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC), the Department of Architecture and the Public Works Department will assist the subcommittee.
The meeting also decided that a report on the potential damage caused by keeping the air-conditioning system switched off outside parliamentary sessions would be submitted to the subcommittee within 15 days.
The report is expected to assess the possible consequences of suspending air conditioning when the Parliament is not in session.
The committee further decided that it would not take responsibility for the ongoing initiative to install solar panels on the roof of the MP Hostel, for which the Development Project Proposal (DPP) has already been prepared.
The meeting was attended by committee members, including Opposition Chief Whip Md Nahid Islam, Md Ashraf Uddin, Luthfullahel Mazed, Md Saiful Alam and Mardia Mumtaz.