Prime Minister's Adviser and Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Mahdi Amin today said the government has adopted short-, medium- and long-term plans to address the country's gas and electricity crises.
He said Bangladesh had developed a dependence on two floating LNG terminals, known as FSRUs (Floating Storage and Regasification Units), one of which had been out of operation for a long time due to technical problems.
"This elected government is not only repairing the non-operational FSRU, but has also taken a plan to add a third FSRU, possibly before 2028, and eventually increase the number to five in the medium and long term to strengthen energy security," the adviser said, adding that the government is working to bring a sustainable solution to the gas crisis.
He made the remarks while briefing reporters after a meeting between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and leaders of 21 leading business associations and apex bodies at the Cabinet Division in the Bangladesh Secretariat here this afternoon.
The meeting, titled "Challenges and Future Roadmap of Bangladesh's Power and Energy Sector", was held with the prime minister in the chair.
Mahdi Amin said, "Under the medium term plan, around 150 new gas wells are being drilled inside the country. Once this phase is successfully completed, a second phase involving the drilling of another 150 wells will begin."
He said the government is also undertaking multifaceted initiatives to reduce dependence on FSRUs alone in the long term by exploring the establishment of land-based LNG terminals and strengthening the national gas pipeline network.
Briefing reporters on the outcome of the meeting, Mahdi Amin said the government had outlined a plan to ensure a sustainable balance among oil-, gas- and coal-based power generation, while putting the highest priority on solar power and renewable energy to strengthen the country's energy security.
Amin said the top business leaders and media representatives present at the meeting openly shared their business experiences and practical perspectives.
He said the prime minister assured the entrepreneurs and industrialists that the government would provide full policy support while the private sector would ensure effective implementation of those policies.
"The government and private sector will complement each other and work shoulder to shoulder to take the country forward on the path to prosperity," Amin said.
The prime minister's adviser said the democratic government assumed office after 16 years of "fascist misrule, corruption and malfeasance", which had resulted in numerous crises accumulating to an enormous scale.
"Perhaps, it will be difficult to resolve all those crises overnight, within a month or even within a year. But this government has 100-percent goodwill, deep sincerity and the highest level of accountability," he said.
Amin said the prime minister had a clear and specific plan, which was reflected in today's power and energy plan.
Regarding the discussions, the PMO spokesperson said the business leaders had sincerely highlighted their ongoing crises and challenges.
"The government firmly believes that every crisis actually opens a new window of opportunity to solve problems," he said.
He said the government had decided to hold such exchanges of views regularly to further strengthen its partnership with business leaders and their organisations and continue the process of joint dialogue.
"We believe that through our collective efforts, we can build Bangladesh into a truly self-reliant, economically prosperous and sovereign state," Amin said.
Prime Minister's Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman and Deputy Press Secretaries Jahidul Islam Rony, Md Suzauddhowla(Sujan Mahmud) and Shahadat Shadhin were also present at the press conference.
Earlier at the meeting, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Invest Bangladesh Authority Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar, Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman, Power Secretary Mirana Mahrukh and Energy Secretary Md Ziaul Huq were present.
Among the business leaders were FBCCI Administrator Md Fazlul Hoque, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan, International Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman, BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem, Bangladesh Chamber of Industries President Anwar-ul Alam Chowdhury Parvez, Acting President of Bangladesh Jute Mills Association Abul Kamal, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mohammed Amirul Haque, and Bangladesh Agro-Processors Association President Mahbub Anam, among others.
Daily Manabzamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, BNP Media Cell convenor Moudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel, Daily Wada editor Shafiqul Alam, journalists Ashraf Kaisar, Mustafa Firoz, Abdun Noor Tushar, Akbar Hossain, Shahed Alam, Rezaul Karim Rony, Azizur Rahman Ripon and Tarikul Islam Sourav, and Jahangirnagar University teacher Dr Nahreen Islam Khan were also present.
