How expats lit up an entire village in Tangail

Detailed summary

A three-kilometre stretch from Karatia Bazar to Sonalia graveyard in Sonalia village under Tangail’s Basail upazila now stays lit up from dusk till dawn, thanks to 100…

A three-kilometre stretch from Karatia Bazar to Sonalia graveyard in Sonalia village under Tangail’s Basail upazila now stays lit up from dusk till dawn, thanks to 100 streetlights funded by expatriates from the village.

The initiative, named “Alokito Sonalia” (Illuminated Sonalia), was completed in just five months at a cost of Tk 10 lakh.

Before the lights were installed, villagers struggled to use the road at night. Students faced problems attending evening coaching classes, women felt unsafe, and thefts were common. The new lights have made night-time movement easier for villagers.

“We spent Tk 7,000-8,000 for each light, installed every 100 feet. Everyone contributed what they could -- we did it with our own money,” said Amir Ali of the village, who works as a factory worker in Woodlands Industrial Park, Singapore.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Daily Star. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.