Rural Electrification Board

What Rural Electrification Board does

Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) is a statutory government body under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, established by the REB Ordinance 1977 and refreshed under the REB Act 2013. It holds the regulatory mandate for rural electrification across Bangladesh, delivering power through 80 Palli Bidut Samitis (PBS) — cooperative distribution entities — that together cover all 462 upazillas, including 461 grid-connected upazillas and the off-grid Rangabali upazila, serving 83,641 grid villages and 1,059 off-grid villages. As of March 2022, BREB's operations contributed to 100% national electrification, acknowledged through the Power Division's receipt of the Independence Award 2022 (Shadhinota Puroskar).

BREB's product surface centers on electricity distribution and consumer-facing digital services: the Palli Bidut Online Connection System (rebpbs.com), a separate industrial connection portal (industry.rebpbs.com), the Palli Bidut Seba mobile application, an API-based online bill payment service integrated with seven mobile financial services (bKash, Rocket, GPay, Robi Cash, uCash, SureCash, MyCash), and a prepaid/smart metering system with approximately 14.5 lakh (1.45 million) meters installed and continuing to expand. Supporting infrastructure includes a Centralized Billing Data Gateway (CBDG), an Integrated ERP for Power Sector (HR, Fixed Asset, Procurement, Finance) being rolled out to all 80 PBSs, GIS-based 33kV line mapping, MIS Software, an Information Collection System, Store and Hardware Management systems, e-Noti electronic document processing, and a TMLM transformer load management application. Innovation initiatives such as Alor Ferrywala (on-site service visits), Uthan Boithak (community engagement meetings), and a 2024-launched Innovation Corner round out the operational stack.

Revenue is generated through regulated electricity tariffs set by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) across residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial customer segments, supplemented by new connection fees and prepaid token purchases. Customer service is delivered through physical PBS offices at union and upazilla levels, online self-service portals, mobile apps, and a 16899 call center. Marketing and outreach operate through official channels including a village-meeting program and Facebook pages for REB and each PBS. No funding rounds or private equity ownership exist; the organization is funded through annual government budget allocations and tariff collections.

Name

Rural Electrification Board

Legal name

Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB)

Website

https://reb.gov.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) is a government statutory body that distributes electricity to rural Bangladesh through 80 cooperative entities (Palli Bidut Samitis), covering all 462 upazillas and serving residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial consumers via prepaid metering, mobile apps, and online portals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Electricity Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122), Utilities (22)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Utility & Municipal Billing Platforms (FSAMAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Biller Direct EBPP Platforms (FSAMAJAA)

Keywords

• Rural electricity distribution
• Electricity supply services
• Prepaid metering services
• Power distribution utility
• Rural electrification board

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Electricity Distribution and Sales: REB generates revenue primarily through electricity distribution to rural consumers. Revenue is collected from both prepaid (vending tokens) and postpaid (monthly billing) consumers across 80 PBSs. The organization serves residential, agricultural (irrigation/pumps), commercial, and industrial customers.
2. Electricity Connection Services: Fees charged for new electricity connections, including security deposits and connection charges.
3. Prepaid Meter Tokens: Revenue from sale of prepaid electricity tokens through mobile wallets and banking platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BREB is the statutory government body responsible for rural electricity distribution across Bangladesh, operating through 80 Palli Bidut Samitis (PBS) cooperatives that supply electricity to residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial consumers across 462 upazilas. Its core offerings include new electricity connection services (online application via www.rebpbs.com and industry.rebpbs.com), prepaid/smart metering with token vending, postpaid monthly billing, and API-integrated online bill payment through major mobile banking platforms (bKash, Rocket, GPay, Robi Cash, U-Cash, SureCash, MyCash). Supporting customer-facing digital channels include the Palli Bidut Seba mobile app, digital bill payment certificate generation, online complaint management, and a 24/7 call center (16899).

Product overview

BREB operates as a platform-based organization providing rural electricity distribution services through 80 Palli Bidut Samitis (PBS). The core offerings include the Palli Bidut Online Connection System for new electricity connections, the Palli Bidut Seba mobile app for bill viewing and complaints, and API-based bill payment services integrated with multiple mobile financial services (bKash, Rocket, GPay, Robi Cash, U-Cash, Sure Cash, MyCash). The Digital Bill Payment Certificate system provides digital proof of payment. Supporting infrastructure includes the Integrated ERP for Power Sector, GIS Mapping, MIS Software, Information Collection System, Store Management, Hardware Management, e-Noti document management, and Load Shedding Information System. Innovation initiatives include Alor Ferrywala (on-site connection service), Uthan Boithak (community meetings), and Durjoge Alor Guerilla (emergency response). Pre-paid/Smart Metering serves approximately 14.5 lakh customers with mobile token purchasing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rural Electricity Distribution Service Core electricity supply service delivered through 80 Palli Bidut Samitis (PBS) cooperatives to residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial consumers across 462 upazilas in rural Bangladesh.
• New Electricity Connection Application Service (Palli Bidut Online Connection System) End-to-end online electricity connection application service for rural consumers across all 80 PBSs, eliminating office visits and intermediary involvement during new connection requests.
• Prepaid/Smart Metering Service Prepaid electricity metering service that enables consumers to purchase electricity tokens via mobile wallets (bKash, Rocket, GPay, Robi Cash, uCash, SureCash, MyCash) without visiting bank booths.
• Postpaid Electricity Billing Service Monthly postpaid electricity billing service for residential, commercial, and industrial consumers, with centralized online bill collection via the CBDG system.
• API-Based Online Bill Payment Service API-integrated bill payment service connecting BREB's billing system with seven mobile financial services (bKash, Rocket, GPay, Robi Cash, U-Cash, SureCash, MyCash) for prepaid token purchase and postpaid bill payment.
• Palli Bidut Seba Mobile Application Mobile application for rural electricity customers to view electricity bills, monitor usage, and submit complaints via Android smartphone.
• Industrial Customer Online Application Service Dedicated online portal for industrial establishments to apply for high-voltage electricity connections in rural and semi-urban service areas.
• Digital Bill Payment Certificate Service Service that generates, downloads, and verifies electricity bill payment certificates using QR code or certificate number for consumer proof of payment.
• Online Customer Complaint Management Service Online complaint submission and resolution service covering billing disputes, meter readings, load shedding, transformer issues, voltage problems, and other electricity service concerns, with hotline numbers operational for BREB and all 80 PBS entities.
• BREB Call Center Service (16899) 24/7 call center service that receives and processes electricity-related complaints and inquiries from rural consumers across Bangladesh via short code 16899.
• Alor Ferrywala On-Site Connection Service On-premise service innovation where PBS staff physically visit customer premises to provide new electricity connections and resolve consumer complaints, eliminating the need for customers to visit offices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% electrification achieved nationwide by March 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerREB operates under the Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. The Minister (Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, MP) and Deputy Minister (Anindya Islam Amit, MP) oversee the organization. Secretary of the Ministry provides administrative oversight.
• 80 Palli Bidut Samitis (PBS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner80 Rural Electricity Cooperatives operate under REB's jurisdiction as subsidiary organizations. Each PBS manages electricity distribution in designated areas. REB provides policy guidance, monitoring, and coordination to PBSs.
• Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB)majorTechnology or IntegrationBPDB is a key partner in the power sector ecosystem. REB receives power supply from BPDB for distribution to end consumers.
• Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC)coreOthersBERC sets electricity tariffs and regulations that govern REB's operations.
• bKash, Rocket, GPay, Robi Cash, uCash, SureCash, MyCash (Mobile Banking)majorTechnology or IntegrationAPI integration with mobile banking platforms enables prepaid token purchase and bill payment for consumers. bKash Pay Bill service for Palli Bidyut available.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• NTPC Limited: NTPC is India's largest state-owned power generation utility and a relevant adjacent peer for benchmarking the upstream supply dynamics (bulk power procurement, BERC/BEREC-style tariff interactions) that determine BREB's input costs. Not a direct competitor but a useful comparator on state-utility digital and operational scale.

Direct peers

• Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO): NESCO is a Bangladesh distribution licensee covering the northern region with similar rural-urban mix to BREB's territory. It serves as a comparable on operational scale, prepaid meter rollout, and digital billing modernization within the same national regulatory regime.
• Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB): BPDB is the state power generation and supply entity from which BREB receives bulk electricity for distribution. It sits in the same national power-sector value chain as BREB, operating under the same Power Division, and provides a direct comparable for Bangladesh state-owned utility operations.
• Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC): DPDC is Bangladesh's urban power distribution utility and is listed as a linked/partner distribution entity in BREB's data. It performs the same last-mile electricity distribution function as BREB but in Dhaka's metropolitan area, making it the closest functional peer in terms of business model and regulatory framework.
• Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO): DESCO is another Bangladesh power distribution licensee serving parts of greater Dhaka. It operates the same regulated electricity distribution business model as BREB's PBSs and competes/coordinates with BREB and DPDC in adjacent service territories.
• West Zone Power Distribution Company (WZPDCL): WZPDCL is one of the six Bangladesh distribution licensees and operates rural/semi-urban distribution similar to BREB's PBS footprint. It is comparable as a state-owned distribution utility facing the same BERC tariff regime, prepaid metering push, and rural electrification challenges.

Broad incumbents

• Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL): TPDDL is a private distribution licensee serving north Delhi with comparable scale (millions of consumers), advanced metering infrastructure, SCADA, GIS, and mobile-payment bill collection. It is a relevant peer for benchmarking BREB's digital transformation, prepaid metering, and outage-management roadmap.
• Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. (MSEDCL): MSEDCL is one of the largest state-owned distribution utilities in India, serving tens of millions of consumers across a mix of rural, agricultural, and urban load. Comparable to BREB on rural electrification mandate, agricultural irrigation tariff structure, and large-scale prepaid/smart metering rollout.
• Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB): PGCB operates Bangladesh's transmission grid that BREB's 33kV distribution lines connect into. As the national grid operator, it is a broad incumbent in the same electricity value chain, comparable on infrastructure scale, GIS mapping adoption, and SCADA/automation roadmap items relevant to BREB's distribution layer.
• CESC Limited (India): CESC is a vertically integrated Indian utility with regulated distribution and a large consumer base across urban and adjacent rural areas. Relevant comparable for distribution operations, prepaid metering, and digital billing at scale in an emerging-market regulatory environment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rural-electrification-board

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Rural Electrification Board