Featured in Spotlight on cells – 10-2025

Power delta in Bangladesh

Bangladesh was once home to the world’s biggest off-grid solar initiative. The Solar Home System program changed millions of lives from 2003 to 2021. Four years and one political revolution later, Bangladesh wants more from solar than rural electrification. Challenges abound, but there are signs of a market with huge potential if the right pieces fall into place.

By

Matthew Lynas

02 Oct 2025

10018_solar_irrigation_bangladesh_Helena_Wright

Solar deployment previously focused on rural electrification, but new policies have a more grid-oriented approach. | Image Helena Wright/CC BY 2.0

They call it the July Revolution. Students in Bangladesh took to the streets in summer 2024 to protest government corruption, spawning a broader pro-democracy movement which quickly toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. An interim government now leads a nation of 173 million people facing major challenges. Bangladesh is ranked seventh most at-risk from the effects …

This article is part of pv+

Subscribe digitally to unlock exclusive investigative reporting, expert insights, in-depth analysis, and premium background coverage. Your subscription also includes full access to the digital edition of our magazine.