Project Green Flame: Scalable Rural Biogas Deployment in Bangladesh
Project Green Flame, proudly funded by City Bank PLC as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in alignment with Bangladesh Bank CSR Guidelines, is a transformative one-year intervention led by Development Programme Initiative (DPI) as Project Lead, deploying 400 IoT-enabled household biodigesters across rural communities in Bogra (200 units) and Sirajganj (200 units) from October 2025 to March 2026. This pioneering climate-smart initiative converts livestock manure into clean, renewable biogas for cookingdisplacing harmful kerosene and non-renewable firewoodand generates nutrient-rich organic bio-slurry as high-quality fertilizer, directly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, capturing methane, improving indoor air quality, enhancing public health, boosting agricultural productivity, and saving forests. A groundbreaking bio-slurry buy-back system managed by Ekshathe Foundation creates reliable new income streams for rural households, fostering a circular economy while empowering women and youth through future entrepreneurship and technical training.
Strategically designed in partnership with Cultivera, Ekshathe Foundation, and ATEC Global, the project establishes a scalable, self-sustaining rural green economy model.
DPI’s core work in Project Green Flame is focused on:
- Overall project coordination and leadership as the designated Project Lead;
- Independent monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) to track performance, impact, and sustainability;
- Transparent fund disbursement and fiduciary oversight, ensuring all resources are utilized strictly per approved plans;
- Governance and compliance assurance in full alignment with IFRS, NGOAB regulations, Bangladesh Bank CSR Guidelines, and applicable national laws;
- Quarterly progress and financial reporting to City Bank, including verified utilization reports, expenditure statements, and satisfaction updates;
- Safeguarding against fund misuse, with strict no-commingling policies and mandatory prior approval for any activity deviation;
- Facilitating City Bank’s audit, verification, and site visit rights at any stage of implementation.
Beyond the pilot phase, a five-year sustainability roadmap drives long-term impact: Year 1 builds a strong user base and performance evidence; Years 2-3 launch “Green Flame Entrepreneurs” to train women from beneficiary families as local ATEC sales agents earning commissions and certify youth through TVET partnerships as professional biogas technicians; and Years 4–5 establish community-led bio-slurry processing hubs for commercial organic fertilizer production and market expansion without external subsidies.
City Bank retains prominent branding and visibility across all project communications, events, and materials, with full rights to conduct site visits, create promotional content, monitor progress, and attend key activities. Fully aligned with Bangladesh’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targeting 21.85% emissions reduction by 2030 and Paris Agreement commitments, Project Green Flame catalyzes climate resilience, gender-inclusive livelihoods, and sustainable rural developmentsetting a replicable, carbon-financed blueprint for nationwide biogas adoption and green growth.