The three-day long National BxhibHipn on Solar Technology began at the Energy Park area on the Dhaka University campus yesterday with a variety of interesting and Innovative items on display.

Prof A K Azad Chowdhury'. Vice Chancellor of the university inaugurated the exhibition in the morning. Some ten organisations both public and private are taking part in the show.

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) displayed its services under a project named Sustainable Rural Energy Project'. The service includes power supply in rural areas through a solar AC and DC ‘ system.

Talking to The Daily Star. Ruhul Amin. Assistant Engineer of LGED informed that the LGED applied Solar Centralised AC System at Jhenidah for the first lime in country' under technical assistance from Rahimafrooz. The service provides power supply to 50 shops at a bazar.

"The system has gained much popularity in the rural area as it is an easier method to use Ihan diesel generators and cost-effective as well. We charge only Tk. 4 for usage of a lamp for every four hours", he said.

He also said. "Our next target is to supply power in the Chittagong Hilf Tracts area for the tribal people."

Rahimafrooz Batteries Ltd. a private company also displayed different solar technology based products which is locally developed. The products include Decentralised Home Lighting system which can cover three lamps at a time as well as a B/W television, solar DC fan. solar refrigerator with capacity of 50 litres designed especially for rural health complexes

Abed Akhter. an M.Phil student of the university and member of Soura-Shakti Sa-nntv has innovated a solar healer to purify water both in rural and urban areas.

Also on display is Rural Electrification Board. Nars-ingdi Palli Bidyut Sarpity-1 and Associated Resources Management Co. (ARMCO)'s different pilot projects on solar technology

Muhammad Fazlur Rahman. Secretary of Science and Technology Ministry was present at Ine symposium as the chief guest.

The programme has been organised by Bangladesh Solar Energy Society ard Renewable Energy Research Centre of Dhaka University.