Kutubdia connected to the national grid
The island of Kutubdia was connected to the national electricity grid on Wednesday night with 1,500 customers receiving the experimental service initially.
Asheq Ullah Rafiq, member of parliament from the Maheshkhali-Kutubdia constituency, inaugurated the operation on Thursday - marking the beginning of the national grid's service on the island for the first time in 52 years since the country's independence.
"New customers are asked to apply. In view of the application, electricity connection will be provided to 20,000 customers in stages," Bangladesh Power Development Board Director Farooq Ahmed said.
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He added Kutubdia has been connected to the national electricity grid through 6km long submarine cables laid under the sea in two lanes.
A 12MW capacity substation and 720km of transmission cables have been installed. Construction of three substations in Noakhali's Hatia is nearing completion, and an 11kv submarine line will take electricity from Hatia to Nijhum island.
Project officials said that the government had taken up a project to bring 100% of the country's population under electricity in 2020; the Tk400 crore project to bring the islands Hatia, Nijhum and Kutubdia was due in June 2023.
