Published : 23 Aug 2026, 04:33 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:35 AM
Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir has outlined plans to produce and use fuel from rice husk and coal as alternatives to gas in industries amid a nationwide gas shortage.
Industrial plots would be covered by the alternative-fuel plan, he said at Sylhet Osmani International Airport on Saturday after opening a new display and sales centre.
He said solar power could also help ease the power crisis, with up to three and a half to four hours of effective generation possible each day and storage allowing electricity to be used during evening peak hours.
According to him, the government’s target is to generate 10,000MW of solar power.
News reports have said a garment factory in Dhuptara, Narayanganj’s Araihazar, is producing gas from rice husk to meet around 70 percent of its needs.
The fuel costs twice as much as grid gas, but the factory says it allows full production during the crisis.
Muktadir said the contribution of the cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises (CMSME) sector to the economy is around 34 percent, with the government aiming to raise it to 50 percent.
Crime Crackdown
Later in the day, Muktadir said there would be zero tolerance for crime in Sylhet, including drugs, online gambling and juvenile gangs.
At a meeting with Sylhet Metropolitan Police officials, he said such activities were harming young people and would not be tolerated.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sarwar Murshed Shamim said police would take immediate legal action against crime and work to ensure public safety.
