PROSPECT AND FUTURE OF BIOMASS FUEL: A REVIEW IN BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVE

Biomass is a general term for living material – plants, animals, fungi and bacteria. Taken together, the Earth's biomass represents an enormous store of energy. Since biomass can be reproduced, it is a potential renewable source of energy. Bangladesh is a densely populated country. Large proportions of indigent people residing in both rural areas and suburban, traditionally harvest fire wood, vegetation, animal excreta and agricultural residues for domestic cooking. These methods proved to be unsustainable as fire woods contributed to higher levels of deforestation. With the burgeoning of population and demands related to energy, deforestation level is getting higher resulting environmental degradation. Uses of fire wood are increasing annually. The high cost of petroleum products, low coverage of the electricity grid and increasing scarcity of traditional fuel due to deforestation are creating an energy deficit situation throughout the rural Bangladesh. Environmental experts‘ prognosticated massive deforestation if crisis is not being addressed from alternative source.In this research, the available sources and potential of biomass fuels in Bangladesh are studied on the basis of available literatures. In context of technical, socioeconomically and resource endowments it has evoked great importance and buttressed its future in Bangladesh.