IDLC Finance PLC and Friendship NGO have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a solar village in Mollar Char, Gaibandha, Rangpur.
The project aims to provide clean energy, solar-powered irrigation facilities and community infrastructure in the remote, climate-vulnerable char area.
The MoU was signed by M Jamal Uddin, CEO and Managing Director of IDLC Finance PLC, and Runa Khan, Founder and Executive Director of Friendship, at IDLC Finance's corporate head office in Gulshan, Dhaka.
The initiative will be implemented during 2026-2027 as part of IDLC's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment under its Environment and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation pillar.
The project includes a 30 kWp solar-powered micro-grid system, 2 solar irrigation pumps, prepaid energy meters for 70 households, 1 electric husking machine, 2 electric threshers and refrigeration support for local shops and pharmacies.
It will also include capacity-building initiatives for 10 local para-solar technicians to support community-based operation and maintenance.
Through Friendship Farmer Clubs and Sustainable Economic Development Hubs, para-solar technicians will receive training, while additional electricity will create opportunities for climate-smart agriculture.
The initiative is expected to directly benefit approximately 315 people, including farmers who will receive solar-powered irrigation across 10 acres of land, households receiving electricity and community members using shared electric farming machinery.
“The lack of reliable electricity and modern irrigation infrastructure at Mollar Char has been significantly constraining agricultural productivity by increasing production costs. It is also limiting economic opportunities. I hope our partnered efforts with Friendship for the Solar Village project will make a difference to the community and uplift their lives in the long term,” said M Jamal Uddin, CEO and Managing Director of IDLC Finance PLC.
Runa Khan, Founder and Executive Director of Friendship, said: “On the chars, resilience is built through practical solutions that give people greater control over their own lives. Friendship's micro-grid with solar irrigation pumps brings this reality to fruition. Reducing farming costs by 1/3, bringing safety to the community and reliable energy into homes. Uplifting livelihoods and turning clean technology into opportunity, dignity and greater economic security.”
Most households in the char primarily depend on agriculture and cultivate leased land. Although some households have basic home solar power, it is mostly incapable of powering all household appliances simultaneously.
As the community remains beyond the reach of the national electricity grid, landless farmers have to rely on diesel-powered irrigation, resulting in higher seasonal and transportation costs and operational inefficiencies.
The integrated model aims to provide households with renewable energy while supporting sustainable livelihoods.
The project builds on Friendship's experience in renewable energy interventions, including the development of Bangladesh's first solar micro-grid and the operation of 7 solar villages across Kurigram and Gaibandha.
The Mollar Char solar village project is another addition to this work. Through the partnership, IDLC Finance and Friendship aim to expand renewable energy access for vulnerable communities while addressing energy access, agricultural productivity, livelihoods and climate resilience in remote char communities.
