Rayhan Ahmed, Mymensingh: Environmental organisations and local residents formed a human chain in Mymensingh on Monday, calling for greater investment in renewable energy and urging the authorities to transform the city into a "Clean Energy City" by installing solar power systems across public facilities and civic infrastructure.

The programme was held at the Town Hall premises and was jointly organised by Onnochitro Foundation, Forum on Ecology and Development (FED) Mymensingh, Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN), and the Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development (BWGED). Environmental activists, development workers, students, and local residents took part in the demonstration.

Speaking at the event, Selima Begum, president of Forum on Ecology and Development, said local government institutions must prioritise investment in renewable energy to address the growing impacts of climate change. She said installing rooftop solar systems at government offices, educational institutions, hospitals, and other public facilities would not only reduce electricity costs but also contribute significantly to environmental protection.

Rebeka Sultana, Executive Director of Onnochitro Foundation, said Mymensingh City Corporation has considerable potential to generate clean electricity by installing solar power systems at bus terminals, passenger shelters, parks, lake walkways, rooftops of public buildings, chars along the Brahmaputra River, selected water bodies, and non-agricultural khas land. She added that surplus electricity generated from these facilities could be supplied to the national grid, creating a sustainable source of revenue for the city corporation.

Development worker ImonSarker said effective utilisation of Bangladesh`s net metering policy would enable local government institutions to become producers of clean energy rather than remaining solely electricity consumers. Such initiatives, he said, would reduce pressure on the national power grid, lessen dependence on fossil fuels, and create new employment and economic opportunities at the local level.

The speakers urged the Mymensingh City Corporation to adopt a comprehensive "Solar City Action Plan", gradually bring all suitable public buildings and civic infrastructure under solar power generation, and position Mymensingh among the country`s leading clean energy cities.

They said investment in renewable energy should be viewed not as an expense but as a long-term investment that is economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and essential for the country`s clean energy transition.