During the 1970s, major policy debates on the role of mechanisation in agricultural and rural development in south Asia took place; by the early 1990s, such debates had largely faded. Yet today, countries such as Bangladesh possess some of the most productive, mechanised and labour-intensive agricultural industries in south Asia.

Large-scale promotion of small scale decentralized renewable energy technologies to achieve a part of millennium development goal remained a great challenge until recently.

A special report on the succesful micro-financed solar energy systems programme by Grameen Shakti in Bangladesh's rural areas. This is perhaps worlds's fastest growing rural renewable energy programme managed by Grameen Shakti with an extensive on-the-ground presence and service network of 1,159 offices staffed by 8,975 employees across the country.