by Friendship News Desk,
31 August, 2025
On 31 August 2025, Friendship, in partnership with Standard Chartered Bangladesh, jointly signed an MoU for its second collaborative solar village project in Kurigram, bringing clean energy, safe water, and climate resilience to one of the country’s most remote and vulnerable communities. The initiative at Natun Char in Chilmari Upazila (subdistrict) will directly benefit 875 people across 175 households. Alongside, it will supply renewable energy to shops, schools, and mosques through a 70-kilowatt solar micro-grid, as well as a water treatment plant, and a major afforestation programme.
Natun Char, a sedimentary island disconnected from the national grid and basic services, will now be linked to reliable solar power, producing an estimated 263 kilowatt-hours of energy per day. This power will support households as well as community assets, including five shops, two schools, two mosques, and a Friendship plinth. Farmers will gain access to solar-powered farm machinery, such as irrigation pumps, threshers, and dryers, cutting costs and boosting productivity. The project also enables interconnection with the Ghughumari Char solar village, located one kilometre away, qualifying the initiative for government subsidies.
Alongside energy access, the community will benefit from a 60-litre-per-hour water treatment plant that addresses urgent drinking water needs while also servicing the solar infrastructure. To combat soil erosion and enhance biodiversity, a large-scale tree-planting campaign will cover Natun Char, Ghughumari Char, and elevated plinth chars across Chilmari and Gaibandha subdistricts. In addition, 8,000 trees will be planted, making this one of the most ambitious rural afforestation efforts in the region.
Capacity building is at the heart of the project. Ten para-solar technicians and solar entrepreneurs will be trained, alongside four farm machinery service providers, ensuring local ownership and long-term sustainability. In addition, 600 beneficiaries will receive orientation on sustainable tree plantation, while 180 community members – with a focus on women – will be trained in solar safety and maintenance.
Speaking on the occasion, Naser Ezaz Bijoy, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bangladesh, said, “Climate resilience must begin where the impacts are felt most deeply. By bringing clean energy to 875 beneficiaries, delivering 60 litres of clean water per hour, coupled with planting 8,000 trees, we are enabling communities of Natun Char and adjacent areas to build a more secure and sustainable future. I believe, through the right partnerships, we can help communities not just survive, but thrive in the face of climate challenges.”
Friendship’s founder, Runa Khan, added, “Partnerships such as Friendship’s with Standard Chartered are powerful because they go beyond delivering infrastructure and projects. They offer people the chance to lead their own future, to know that they are not forgotten, and that even in the most remote places, their lives and dreams matter. They bring empowerment that is often only received by the privileged: for electricity creates opportunity for livelihood, future security, and hope to the intramigrants of climate change in this world.”
The Natun Char solar village builds on the success of Friendship and Standard Chartered Bangladesh’s first collaboration at Ghughumari Char in 2023. That project, a 57.6 kW solar installation, powered 144 households and helped farmers save around BDT 12,480 per bigha (≈ 1,338 m²) in paddy cultivation costs through solar-powered irrigation.
With an investment of BDT 19.13 million, the new project reinforces Standard Chartered Bangladesh’s long-standing commitment to inclusive growth in Bangladesh, and Friendship’s mission to save lives, alleviate poverty, strengthen climate resilience and empower marginalised communities.
