The Asian Development Bank approved a $200 million loan to strengthen electricity distribution in industrial and urbanizing areas around Dhaka. The project will help the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board address overloaded substations, aging infrastructure and rising disaster risks across 13 electric cooperatives.

Plans include 1,150 megavolt-amperes of new transformer capacity at 52 substations and a 115-megavolt-ampere increase at 12 existing substations. More than 2,600 kilometres of overhead and underground lines will be built or upgraded, and 900 fault-locator sets installed to speed repairs. ADB estimates improved distribution efficiency and lower technical losses will cut emissions by about 203,751 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.