State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has sought the cooperation of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to modernise the gas and electricity transmission and distribution systems in the country’s south-western region.

He made the call at a meeting with JICA's newly appointed Chief Representative to Bangladesh Tomohide Ichiguchi at the latter’s office at the Secretariat on Wednesday.

“After construction of the Padma Bridge, a rapid development is taking place in the south-western part of the country. JICA can play a major role in modernising electricity transmission and distribution systems in the region,”he told Tomohide.

During the meeting they discussed various issues related to mutual interest.

Welcoming the newly appointed chief representative, Nasrul Hamid said that JICA is one of the main development partners of Bangladesh.

He also requested the JICA local chief to extend cooperation to Bangladesh Power Management Institute (BPMI) to make it an international quality training institute for the development of human resources.

Read: Relations with Bangladesh now deeper, more extensive: JICA 

He observed that a huge investment opportunity has been created in the distribution and transmission sector.

He also requested the JICA to conduct a study on local area-based load management and possible power transmission to meet the requirements. 

Integrated master plan for energy and power, renewable energy, wind power, change in electricity consumption pattern, energy demand in industry, modernization of power and energy sector, land development of Maheshkhali, gas pipeline installation projects also came up for discussion.

The JICA chief representative said, Bangladesh is his old work station.

“JICA's will remain with Bangladesh to promote its development. JICA will continue to work for the development of BPMI,”he assured the state minister.

JICA outgoing chief representative Yoho Hayakawa was also present on the occasion.