Experts call for shift to electric cooking, highlight risks of biomass stoves

Bangladesh should move towards electric cooking in Bangladesh, warning that traditional biomass-based cooking methods are causing millions of premature deaths globally each year, said experts at a roundtable. 

They noted that women and children remain the most vulnerable, facing prolonged exposure to harmful smoke emitted from biomass stoves.

The discussion, titled "Scaling up Clean Cooking in Bangladesh: Pathways to Universal Access," was held today (25 November) at The Business Standard's conference room and was organised by International Development Enterprises (iDE).

Among many others, the programme was attended by Rezwan Khan, chairman of Power Grid Bangladesh PLC; Enamul Karim Pavel, head of Renewable Energy at IDCOL; and Ariful Haque, assistant director at BSTI. 

Saleem Ahmed, associate editor of The Business Standard, moderated the session.

Participants highlighted the need to reassess the country's reliance on LPG-based cooking, noting that electric cooking offers a cheaper, cleaner, and healthier alternative.

Addressing the program, iDE Bangladesh Country Director Sameer Karki said, clean cooking must take centre stage within the nation's broader development agenda, given its deep link to public health.

He said, "Globally, 3.2 million people die prematurely each year due to smoke from traditional cooking. In Bangladesh, an estimated 22% of deaths are linked to indoor pollution. Women and children remain disproportionately affected due to prolonged exposure near biomass stoves."

Arifur Rahman Talukder, project manager of iDE's CCSU initiative, in his presentation, shared insights on the evolving electric cooking landscape in Bangladesh.

He noted that "Although 73% of households are now aware of electric cooking, usage remains extremely low, with only 2.5% currently using electricity for cooking, while 45% still rely on biomass fuels. Behavioural patterns, affordability challenges, and infrastructure gaps continue to hinder progress."

Talukder highlighted that iDE's ongoing Clean Cooking Scale-Up (CCSU) project aims to address these barriers. "Our goal is to distribute 51,000 electric stoves, reduce 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, and create new economic opportunities for women and youth in the clean energy sector," he said.

Rezwan Khan, chairman of Power Grid Bangladesh PLC underscored the importance of identifying the right financing mechanisms to accelerate the transition, saying that solar PV-integrated electric cooking could significantly support Bangladesh's renewable energy and energy-efficiency targets.

Shafiqul Alam, lead analyst for Bangladesh Energy (South Asia) at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, noted that Bangladesh's rising per-capita income and changing lifestyle aspirations are naturally steering households toward electric cooking.

He added that Bangladesh's energy behaviour has already shown potential for rapid change.

"LPG, once rare in rural areas a decade ago, is now widespread. A full transition cannot happen immediately due to grid limitations. With a peak demand of 17,000 MW and an installed capacity of 28,900 MW, the country requires improved grid flexibility to support mass electrification of cooking." He added.