Around 7:00 pm, in the remote Bangladeshi village of Padmo Para, a light bulb lit up Fatima Khatun's home—That allows the knowledge-thirsty pupil to read for hours even after dark.
However, over a year ago, what she could do at that time of the day is to light a candle or go to sleep.
"In the past, our village did not have electricity," Khatun said. "So we had to go to bed at 7:00 or 8:00 pm."
The village gained access to electricity in 2018 when power was delivered there under a Bangladeshi project financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a China-proposed multilateral lender.
The project has increased the availability and sustainability of power in Bangladesh and brought expanded and more reliable service to rural residents. It is among the first batch of projects approved by the AIIB Board of Directors in 2016.
"Now our study will not be influenced by darkness," said Satu Akhtar, another schoolgirl in the village. "Our scores are getting better."
While houses made of iron sheets and mud are a common feature in Padmo Para, the primary school, a two-story brick building, is the most eye-catching architecture in the village.
Next to the building's staircase is a new energy meter installed last year, a game changer for about 150 students studying here.
"When there was no electricity (and no electric fan), students could hardly concentrate in class (due to the hot weather)," said Md Aminul Islam, principal of Padmo Para primary school.
"They listen to class carefully and get good grades," he said, expressing gratitude to the AIIB's efforts to help deliver electricity.
"Life is improving," said villager Sirajul Islam.
"After we got electricity, it became much easier for the kids to study," he said, adding that "now we can irrigate rice paddies using electric pumps."
Yee Ean Pang, director general of AIIB's Investment Operations Department, said the bank approved $165 million for the Bangladesh project, which has benefited 12.5 million people in rural regions in the South Asian country.
As the Beijing-headquartered AIIB said on its website, "By investing in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asia and beyond, we will better connect people, services and markets that over time will impact the lives of billions and build a better future."