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Strengthen Bapex for exploring gas, coal

Experts urge govt

Staff Correspondent
Experts, academicians, cultural activists and politicians at a roundtable yesterday said the government should strengthen local companies for exploring the country's gas and coal resources for energy security instead of handing over the natural resources to foreign companies.
Terming Bapex (Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration Company) an efficient company like foreign ones, they also said the government should provide Bapex with proper facilities and give the onus of explor • inggasfrom the potential fields.
Sammilito Sanskntik Jote (SSJ) organised the roundtable on Energy Policy of Bangladesh and Exploration of Oil and Gas’ at the National Press Club in the city
Prof Badrul Imam of Geology Department at Dhaka University presented the keynote paper at the roundtable.
He said to face the energy crisis, there is no alternative of emphasising on developing gas and coal extraction programmes.
“Dependence on foreign companies in gas exploration is increasing day by day. In 2004. 24 per cent of the whole gas extraction
was done by foreign companies, while it increased to 50 per cent in 2008. If the local companies are not given proper facilities, the dependence will further increase," said ProfBadrul.
He said the government was reluctant to strengthen Bapex financially, giving an instance that the government buys gas from Bapex at Tk 7 per unit of gas while the same amount was bought from the foreign companies at Tk 200.
Prof Badrul urged the caretaker government to increase finance, manpower and facilities for Bapex officials and employees and engage it in exploring and extracting gas from the fields and also those that were left by the foreign companies.
He also urged the caretaker government to approve the draft coal policy and asked die government not to sign any deal with foreign companies, saying let an elected government do it
Awami League presidium member Tofail Ahmed said. "Taking decision about natural resources should be left for the elected governments as they are people's representatives.”
“Though our own company
Bapex is an efficient one. it has been kept virtually inactive," he said.
Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim said. "Any policy regarding energy should be consistent with the national interest."
The efficiency of Bapex is the most among the companies operating in the company so the local company should be given the priority of exploring gas instead of the foreign companies, he added.
Pointing to the special assistant (in-charge of the energy ministry) to the chief adviser (CA), Selim said he was doing every' thing to serve the interest of the foreign companies.
"He (special assistant to CA) advocated for exporting gas a few years back, saying we have more gas than we need and there will be no one to buy gas if Bangladesh does not export gas now. He did that for the interest of the westerns and now he is trying to give the Phulbaricoalmineto Asia Energy."
DU Prof Aftab Alam Khan, Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, SSI President Nasiruddin Yusuf and General Secretary’ Golam Kuddus and Cultural activist Mamun-ur-Rashid also spoke.