Solar energy is a complimentary environment friendly renewable source of power and can
play a significant role in reducing present rural power crisis as well as increasing rural
development. This paper focuses on the prospect of solar energy to meet the power demand
on coastal area of Bangladesh. It also investigates into the current scenario of supply and
demand of solar power in the south-western coastal Rangabali upazila where more than 80%
people are deprived from national grid connection. The entire study was conducted straightly
in the field visit, questionnaire survey, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Bangladesh Bureau
of Statistics (BBS) and from relevant articles. The study finds that the people of this upazila
rely on solar power for electrification in their houses, market and so on. 63% people are
using solar energy in their households to meeting power crisis in this area. Rests of the
people are using generator, kerosene oil, and candle for electrification. The application of
solar technology for rural electrification is indirectly increasing the income as well as
the living standard of the rural poor as lessen poverty, energy shortage and climate change
at remote settlements of Bangladesh as like this coastal area. Fragile Socio-economic
conditions hinder the growth of solar energy development regarding this upazila where 67%
people living under poverty line and 72% are illiterate. In this aspect, there is a positive
connection between application of solar energy and meeting the aims of the United
Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For this remote area, solar energy can
be an environment friendly source of power and can play a significant role in reducing
existing power crisis as well as harnessing the rural development. It is also cheap and poor
people in this upazila can easily afford it. Government and private sector should concentrate
to harness the immense potential of solar energy to empower this community by providing
them more accessibility of solar power for increasing its users to rural development.