As South Asian cities rapidly embrace rooftop solar power system to mitigate worsening energy shortages, Dhaka remains strikingly reluctant to follow suit. Currently, nearly 70 per cent of the city’s installed rooftop systems lie inactive.
The regional contrast is stark: while solar power meets roughly 15-20 per cent of Islamabad’s electricity demand and 20-30 per cent of Karachi’s, Dhaka’s contribution is negligible.
According to data from power distributors Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) and Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco), rooftop solar generated less than 2 per cent of the city’s power on Monday with only 87MW against a peak hour demand of 5,233MW.
By comparison, New Delhi and Mumbai stand at 3 per cent and 1 per cent, respectively.
Despite an installed capacity of approximately 113-126MW as of early 2026, widespread neglect and poor maintenance mean that only 30-40MW is effectively being produced.
Experts, traders, and officials attribute Dhaka’s weak solar culture to a combination of public indifference, poor policy implementation, high costs, bureaucratic hurdles, and a deep-seated trust deficit.
The cost of this inaction is substantial. A study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) estimates that installing 2,000MW of rooftop solar on industrial and commercial buildings alone could save Bangladesh approximately $1 billion annually, offering a powerful solution to the nation’s fiscal and energy pressures.
Solar panels installed just to meet legal requirements
Despite intense summer energy shortages, demand for solar equipment among Dhaka residents remains low at major hubs like Gulistan’s Sundarban Market.
Industry insiders, such as Mohammad Abdul Halim of World Power Engineering, report that local residents comprise only 10-15 per cent of daily sales.
Furthermore, Halim suggests that these purchases are often performative, intended to meet the prerequisites for grid connection rather than to provide sustainable energy, leading to a total lapse in maintenance once the connection is granted.
This trend is corroborated by Shafiqul Alam, lead energy analyst at the IEEFA.
Alam points out that the regulatory requirement to install solar power systems for new buildings has created a culture of “compliance without intent.” Consequently, a significant portion of the city’s solar infrastructure exists only as dormant hardware, serving no functional role in the energy grid.
Bureaucracy and high costs stifle urban solar growth
Industry leaders argue that solar power has never been made financially viable or accessible for average urban consumers.
Mustafa Al Mahmud, president of the Bangladesh Sustainable and Renewable Energy Association, highlights a glaring policy contradiction.
“The government buys electricity at a unit rate of Tk13 while selling it to consumers for Tk5, which requires heavy subsidies. Yet, anyone trying to import solar panels faces a 50% customs duty,” he noted. “Between the duties and the six-month bureaucratic maze involving BSTI and various other offices, why would an ordinary person take the trouble?”
Mahmud believes that direct incentives would have fundamentally changed the landscape. “If the government offered a Tk5,000 incentive for every five-kilowatt system installed, public interest would skyrocket. The problem is that instead of simplifying the process, the state has built a wall of obstacles.”
Beyond red tape, public confidence has been eroded by low-quality equipment and a lack of reliable after-sales support.
Consequently, rooftop solar generation under net metering remains negligible in Dhaka. According to Sustainable And Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) data, DPDC systems accounted for only 6.811MW as of March 2026, while Desco recorded 11.251MW in February.
Combined, these contribute less than 1% of Dhaka’s daily energy demand.
While Desco reported an additional 61MW of non-net-metered systems through September 2025, DPDC’s records for similar systems haven’t been updated since 2017. Despite the dismal official figures, Shafiqul Alam suggests the actual footprint might be larger.
“In my neighbourhood, I see panels on nearly half the buildings. The real numbers are likely higher than the records show, but the pace of expansion is still far below what is needed.”
Although the government began promoting rooftop solar in 2009 and made it mandatory for new grid connections in 2010, the policy has largely failed to gain traction. A 2016 Detailed Area Plan (DAP) estimate revealed that the vast majority of Dhaka’s 2.1 million residential and commercial buildings remain without solar power. Even where systems exist, many have been abandoned due to a lack of maintenance.
The legal and political landscape remains equally volatile. In June 2025, following a petition by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), the High Court reinstated the solar mandate for new connections. Simultaneously, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus ordered the installation of solar panels on all government buildings nationwide. Despite these directives, implementation remains sluggish.
Further complicating matters, the Power Division withdrew the solar requirement for new connections last December, creating a policy environment experts call “contradictory.” When questioned about this reversal, Power Development Board member Obaidullah pointed back to existing regulations, stating, “The Bangladesh National Building Code provides the necessary instructions regarding solar panel installation.”
The urban-rural divide in energy resilience
A primary driver of Dhaka’s low solar adoption is the relative stability of its power grid compared to rural areas.
While city dwellers experience fewer outages, rural populations face frequent load shedding, prompting a surge in solar use to power everything from televisions and refrigerators to water pumps and air conditioners.
In these regions, robust battery storage allows households to rely on solar power through the night, significantly lowering their utility bills.
Conversely, Dhaka residents and businesses typically favour IPS (Instant Power Supply) units and diesel generators during power cuts.
Traders note that this reliance on traditional backups has stifled any sense of urgency to transition toward renewable energy in the capital.
Energy expert Badrul Imam emphasises that Bangladesh possesses enormous untapped solar potential. “Our climate and geography are in our favour,” he noted, suggesting that the environment is ripe for a transition.
Zakir Hossain Khan, of Change Initiative, warned that the current energy crisis has exposed the inherent risks of a total reliance on traditional power sources.
“Relying solely on conventional energy is no longer sustainable,” Khan argued, adding that a combination of subsidies, low-interest loans, and strict quality control could rapidly expand rooftop solar while relieving the national grid.
Under the Renewable Energy Policy 2025, Bangladesh aims to derive 20 per cent of its electricity from renewables by 2030, increasing to 30% by 2040.
Yet, for now, despite deepening energy shortages and repeated government mandates, Dhaka’s rooftops remain conspicuously empty.
