Madarganj 100MW solar project remains stalled despite fresh ECNEC approval

The 100MW Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL) solar power project in Madarganj, Jamalpur, remains mired in management uncertainty and implementation delays despite receiving fresh approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

Although nearly 62% of the project's physical work has reportedly been completed, construction has remained largely stalled, raising questions over when the plant will be completed and brought into commercial operation.

Local residents and people involved with the project have called for the construction work to resume quickly, saying completion of the plant could help ease electricity shortages in greater Mymensingh and parts of the northern region while adding significant renewable generation capacity to the national grid.

The 100MW plant is being constructed on around 325.65 acres of land at Kaizar Char under Jor Khali Union in Madarganj Upazila.

The project, initiated in 2021, was designed to generate around 178,274 megawatt-hours of electricity annually.

However, its progress slowed amid the global economic downturn, increases in the dollar exchange rate, successive floods, political changes and complications in the disbursement of foreign loans.

At one stage, major construction activities were suspended in 2025.

ECNEC approved the project again in its second revised form on 19 August this year, with an additional cost of Tk101.82 crore.

People involved with the project said the revised approval had removed major policy and financing uncertainties, but visible construction activities had yet to resume on a significant scale.

According to information obtained by this newspaper, a meeting on the Madarganj 100MW solar power plant project was held on 20 August 2025 under the chairmanship of the then power adviser.

Following the meeting, instructions were issued to keep project activities suspended until further notice.

Sources involved with the project claimed that the decision came amid allegations of corruption against then Project Director Md Ferdaws Rahman and concerns over management failures and inefficiencies.

They also said the Power Division had asked RPCL to take departmental action against the then project director.

The allegations against the former project director could not be independently verified from the documents available to this newspaper.

It was also learned that RPCL, through a letter dated 15 September 2025, instructed the project's main Indian engineering, procurement and construction contractor, Amara Raja Infra Private Limited, to halt the supply of materials for the project.

Project-related sources said more than Tk210 crore in payments due to the contractor since September 2025 remained outstanding.

They said the payment issue contributed to the suspension of major construction activities.

The contract of Switzerland-based foreign consultant AFRY Switzerland Ltd expired in June 2025.

People involved with the project said the absence of a replacement consultant for an extended period subsequently affected design approvals and physical progress.

Atlanta Enterprise, a Bangladeshi consultancy firm, was appointed as the new consultant on 25 August this year.

Some people involved with the project have questioned whether the newly appointed firm has sufficient experience to supervise a utility-scale solar project of this size.

The project-related sources also said RPCL had limited previous experience in implementing utility-scale solar projects and argued that experienced technical consultancy support was therefore particularly important for successful implementation.

The Indian EPC contractor, meanwhile, has kept two large batching plants, workers, construction materials and other resources at or around the project site while awaiting the resumption of major work.

People involved with the project said maintaining these resources and retaining manpower during the prolonged slowdown was generating substantial daily costs.

The transmission line component has also been affected by the delay.

Sources said project personnel had faced difficulties protecting tower materials from theft during the prolonged suspension.

Imported equipment and construction materials have also remained unused for an extended period, creating concerns over theft, storage conditions and possible deterioration in quality.

During a visit to the project site on Sunday, it was found that a significant portion of the work had been completed before major activities were suspended.

RCC blocks had been installed to protect the char area from river erosion, while land filling and construction of frames for solar panels had advanced substantially.

Work on the 47-kilometre 132kV transmission line connecting the project with the Ghatail grid substation in Tangail was also close to completion.

The project now requires completion of the remaining construction and commissioning work before it can begin generating electricity.

The project also has social and environmental components, including resettlement facilities for landless families affected by land acquisition.

However, the exact number of households covered by the resettlement component requires further verification against the latest RPCL project documents.

Plans for the resettlement area include facilities such as a primary school, healthcare centre, market, mosque and graveyard.

The project has also been designed to incorporate an agrivoltaic component, under which crops such as turmeric, ginger and green chilli could be cultivated beneath solar panels.

During the site visit, however, 32 families were found to be living in around 18–20 houses on approximately 2.51 acres within the project area.

Mst Sabura Khatun, wife of Ajibor Akand, said her family had concerns about the accommodation offered under the resettlement arrangement.

"There are seven people in our family – my husband and me, our two sons, one daughter, my mother-in-law and one son's wife. We now live in four rooms, but they have given us one room for seven people. How can we move there?" she said.

Local resident Rafiqul Islam said the project had already changed the appearance of the previously neglected char area.

"Once there was almost nothing in this char. The power plant has changed the face of the area, but with the work remaining suspended, our hopes also seem to be stuck," he said.

"As the project has already received approval, we want the work to begin immediately. If the plant becomes operational, both our region and the country will benefit," he added.

Jamalpur Science and Technology University Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department Chairman Md Sizar Rahman said the project was consistent with the government's goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in the country's electricity mix.

Bangladesh is targeting 20% renewable electricity by 2030 under its current renewable energy policy direction.

Rahman said the Madarganj plant would be connected to the Ghatail grid and could help reduce peak-hour power shortages in Jamalpur, Tangail and neighbouring districts.

He said the project would also help reduce dependence on fossil fuels, increase green electricity generation and cut carbon emissions.

However, he warned that utility-scale solar projects also bring technical and environmental challenges.

"If isolation is not properly ensured, DC current may enter the grid's power system and affect power quality," Rahman said.

"Solar panels will also become waste after the plant reaches the end of its 25–30-year operational life. If that waste is not properly managed, it could create significant environmental risks," he added.

Project Director Jahangir Alam said over the phone that minor activities at the project were continuing and major construction work was expected to resume shortly.

"Minor works of the project are ongoing. The remaining main work will begin very soon. It may take a few weeks," he said.

"Once the main work starts, the problems will be resolved and the project will be completed quickly," he added.