Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday inaugurated five power plants with a total electricity generation capacity of 779MW, aiming to provide power connections to every household of the country.

Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the power plants through a videoconference from her official residence Ganobhaban as the government planned to bring the country’s 100 percent population under electricity coverage.

The five power plants are Bibiyana-III 400MW Combined Cycle Power Plant in Habiganj, Zulda, Chittagong 100MW Power Plant Unit-2, Meghnaghat 104MW Power Plant in Narayanganj, Modhumoti 100MW Power Plant in Bagerhat and upgradation of Sylhet 150MW Power Plant to 225MW Combined Cycle Power Plant in Sylhet.

Prime Minister's Power and Energy advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, the Power Secretary and the chairman of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) were present at Bijoy Hall of Bidyut Bhaban during the opening ceremony.

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According to the Power Ministry, the government has successfully constructed 119 power plants with an electricity production capacity of 20,293MW since assuming power in 2009.

The government had targeted to generate 24,000 MW electricity by 2021, and the target has already been exceeded as it reached 25,235 MW (including captive power), which was 4,942 MW in 2009, bringing around 99.5 percent of the population under electricity coverage.

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The ministry says the per capita electricity generation reached 560kWh, which was only 220kWh in 2009. The system loss has been brought down to 8.49 percent from 14.33 percent, it added.