The principle objective of the project is to improve energy services in Bangladesh through increasing access to electricity among the poor. In the broader economic goal of reducing poverty, by deepening the involvement of the community based stakeholders, the project broadens the range of electrification options, thereby creating alternatives to state-led provision of electricity services.

The original grant agreement was signed on May 12, 2010. On March 2, 2011, a new grant agreement was signed for additional subsidy funding for this project.

The GPOBA project aims to address the problem of low access to electricity in rural areas and insufficient capacity on the grid through installation of solar home systems (SHS) for rural households, mainly in remote areas. This program (in coordination with the Bangladesh mini-grid program, also managed by IDCOL) will extend electricity access to 140,000 households. An additional 175,000 SHS installations are planned as a result of additional subsidy funding from GPOBA.

GPOBA is providing grant funding to subsidize the cost of SHS installations for 315,000 target households.

Zubair Sadeque