Info secretary for judicious use of electricity

The government has been implementing a series of decisions to save electricity use and cut fuel cost to tackle power and fuel crisis prevailing across the globe due to Russia-Ukraine war.

"As per the government's decision, we've to reduce the use of electricity by 25 percent at all offices and thus save 20 percent of the budget allocation for the energy sector," said Information and Broadcasting Secretary Md Humayun Kabir Khandaker.

Speaking at a learning session on 'Energy saving of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and its departments/organisations' as the chief guest at his ministry conference room today, he said online meetings will have to be organised and physical meetings should be avoided if those are not urgent ones.

Additional Secretary of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry Khadiza Begum delivered welcome address, while responsible officer of the Annual Performance Agreement (APA) Md Asaduzzaman, also deputy secretary of the ministry, conducted the session.

Some 30 officials from the information and broadcasting ministry and its different departments/organizations joined the learning session.

Humayun Kabir Khandaker said all offices under the information and broadcasting ministry will take necessary steps to reduce power consumption by 25 per cent and thus reduce 20 percent energy sector budget as the government's decision.

He said, "As a conscious citizen what we have to do to prevent energy wastage. We have to follow the government's steps and decisions to save electricity and energy as conscious citizens."

In addition to this, necessary measures can be taken to cut power use at citizen level, he added.

Highlighting a set '30-point to do list' for saving power as well as energy, he said, "We all should cooperate the government, which has been relentlessly under the dynamic leadership of the Prime minister to turn the country into a developed one by 2041,"

The 30-point to do list includes use energy efficient light such as LED bulbs, using high reflection coefficient colour for luminosity for lighting system such as fixure/chasing/reflector, using motion sensor lighting system at common spaces including stairs, wash room, waiting room and corridor aiming to curb unnecessary use of electricity, maintaining Lux Level brightness based on programme designed by Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) and keeping lighting system including electric bulb clean regularly as the dust reduce brightness of the bulb, using task lighting system at office desks, ensuing the maximum use of daylight, avoiding the unnecessary use of electricity, keeping set temperature of air conditioners at 25 degree Celsius or above and shut doors- widows of room, avoiding the use of washing machine and geysers/heater to heat up water and keeping switches of lights-fans off at the time of leaving rooms.

"I think it is urgent to perform our responsibility from our respective position to save energy in line with the government's decision . . . as a conscious citizen, we need to be judicious in using power for the benefits of the country," said the information and broadcasting secretary.

Toufiq Rahman and Abdullah Al Mamun of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) delivered key note speeches as resource persons, reports BSS.