State Minister for Foreign Affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury yesterday stressed the need for using combined resources and power to change the lot of the South Asian people, reports BSS.

Opening a two-day workshop on Availability of power in South Asia — search for optimal technological options' as the chief guest, the minister said that tremendous potentials lied in Brahmaputra and Ganges basins to harness 40 to 50 thousand megawatt of electricity.

He expressed his support to the conception of establishing a "SAARC power grid" and said that the matter would be discussed in the SAARC committee.

Jointly organised by the Federation of Engineering Institutions of South and Central Asia (FEISCA) and Institution of Engineers. Bangladesh (IEB). the opening session was also addressed by FEISCA president Prof Ajoy K Ghose, secretary general Engr. Dr A K Azad and IEB general secretary ANH Akhtar Hossain.

Assistant secretary of the IEB gave vote of thanks while president of the IEB Prof M A Hannan chaired the session.

Chowdhury hoped that the

governments and peoples of the whole region would be benefited from recommendations of the workshop.

Referring to the developments achieved by the ASEAN members, he said the next century would be the century of South Asia, provided we have the needed degree of vision and commitment.”

FEISCA secretary general Dr A K Azad said the search for regional cooperation can be extended to establishment of a SAARC power grid for accelerating economic growth in the region .'

Referring to the worldwide interconnections of large electric power systems, especially in some countries of Europe. North America and South Africa. Dr Azad said the policymakers in South Asia can derive guidelines from those models to work for a possible collaboration in power development and trade in the sub-region.

Prof Ajoy Ghose, who is also the president of the Institution of Engineers. India, urged the regional governments to evolve a device to overcome technical and institutional barriers to share electricity and develop the system for the common benefit of people.

He sale, if the Internet could bring the people closer globallv. then why not the peoples could be connected through power grid."

The opening session was followed by a technical session, where papers were presented by Chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board Nuruddin M Kamal. Chairman of Power Grid Corporation of India R P Singh and president of Nepal Engineers Association B R Regmi. The technical session was presided over by Engr S M Mamoon. vice president of the IEB.