For two decades, the Solar Home System was rural Bangladesh’s answer to electricity access. Millions of households once relied on it for light, for charging a phone, for keeping a small business running after dark. Today, that answer is fraying. Grid lines have reached villages that once depended entirely on solar, free-panel programmes have reshaped demand, and the systems already installed are ageing without the batteries, repair networks, or service standards needed to keep them running.

Authors: Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Sami Mohammed
Publication Period: October 2026