State Minister for Youth and Sports Md. Aminul Haque on Wednesday said the government has taken an initiative to expand sustainable biogas technology to grassroots levels to effectively address the country’s energy crisis.

The government is preparing an action plan to spread biogas plants to remote areas across the country within the next two years, he said.

The state minister made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of a biogas plant organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports near Link Road in Cox’s Bazar, according to a PID handout. 

He said a booklet would be prepared to explain the benefits of biogas in simple terms and distributed at the grassroots level to encourage farmers to adopt the technology.

Describing the youth as the country’s true driving force, Aminul said they would lead the nation in bringing about overall change and development.

He expressed hope that the biogas initiative, currently being implemented on a limited scale, would be expanded nationwide in the future.

The state minister also said the training offered at youth development centres are being modernised in line with changing needs.

Training and soft-term loan assistance in emerging and market-oriented sectors, including artificial intelligence, freelancing, caregiving and mobile servicing, are creating new employment opportunities, he said.

He said the government is also planning ways to increase commercial biogas production and supply alongside meeting household needs.

The government is working to bring every youth development service to the doorsteps of people in remote areas, Aminul added.

At the programme, two farmers were each given a loan of Tk 1.5 lakh to encourage them to install biogas plants.