SANGSAD BHABAN, July 3, 2024 (BSS) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today told 
the parliament that the government is mulling electricity production from 
hydrogen and ammonia alongside the production of solar and wind power in the 
country. 

"It is expected that it would be possible to use hydrogen energy on pilot 
basis in the country by 2035," she said replying to a question from Awami 
League lawmaker Habibur Rahman (Sylhet-3).

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury tabled the question-answer session in the 
House.

The prime minister said a cell has been formed at the Rupantarita Prakritik 
Gas Company Limited (RPGCL) under Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation 
(Petrobangla) to collect the results of ongoing researches and the data of 
the activities undertaken in the developed world over sustainable and 
reliable methods of producing hydrogen as energy. 

The cell will design a project proposal after receiving reliable information 
in this regard, she added. 

Besides, the Premier hoped that the 1,200-megawatt first unit of the 2,400-
megawatt Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will go in commercial production by the 
end of this year.

A target was set to generate 40 percent electricity from clean energy 
(renewable) by 2041 in the country, she added.

Replying to separate questions from ruling party lawmakers, Alauddin Ahmmad 
Chowdhury (Feni-1) and Farida Yasmin (Woman Seat-35) regarding Asrayan 
Project and beneficiaries, the Prime Minister said a total of 8,67,977 (8.68 
lakh) landless and homeless families have been rehabilitated under the 
Ashrayan project.

She said the total number of beneficiaries is more than 43.39 lakh. "So far 
58 districts and 464 upazilas have been completely freed from the landless 
and homeless people. Five divisions -- Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Khulna and 
Rajshahi -- are now completely freed from landless and homeless people. That 
means, there are no landless homeless people in all these districts, upazilas 
and divisions," she added.

In response to another query from AL lawmaker Ali Azam (Bhola-2), the Prime 
Minister said the government is committed to ensuring justice on the basis of 
equality for all, irrespective of the rich and poor, and establishing justice 
in the society by making visible improvements in the judiciary system.

She said the present government has been relentlessly working to establish 
the rule of law in the country by providing assurance of fair trial to 
alleviate the suffering of the people seeking justice.

A total of 1,429 judges were recruited in lower courts since 2009, she added.

Answering to a question from AL lawmaker SM Ataul Haque (Satkhira-4), the 
prime minister said the allocation for the social safety sector has been 
increased by 9.12 times from Tk 13,845 crore in the 2008-09 fiscal year to Tk 
126,272 crore in the current fiscal year of 2023-24, which is 16.58 percent 
of the total national budget.