Bangladesh and the United States have held talks on expanding cooperation in liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as the two countries seek to strengthen energy ties and explore a formal bilateral partnership, Bangladesh’s power ministry said on Tuesday.
The discussions took place during a meeting between Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood and Eric Geelan, Political and Economic Counsellor at the the Bangladesh Secretariat.
According to the ministry, LNG and LPG featured prominently in the discussions as both sides explored ways to broaden cooperation in Bangladesh’s energy sector. Officials also discussed the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a framework for future collaboration.
The ministry said the two sides reviewed potential areas for cooperation, including energy trade, investment and government-to-government engagement, although it did not disclose whether any specific LNG or LPG supply agreements were under consideration.
The talks also focused on encouraging greater participation by U.S. companies in Bangladesh’s energy sector, particularly ahead of Prime Minister Tareque Rahman’s planned visit to the United States.
Bangladesh relies heavily on imported LNG to supplement declining domestic natural gas production, while demand for LPG has risen steadily in recent years as households and industries increasingly shift away from piped natural gas.
The ministry said officials exchanged views on strengthening Bangladesh’s energy security and discussed a roadmap for addressing challenges in bilateral energy cooperation.
Mahmood reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to expanding its energy partnership with the United States and called for further meetings between relevant stakeholders to advance the discussions, according to the statement.
Geelan expressed the U.S. Embassy’s interest in supporting the development of Bangladesh’s energy sector, while Joseph Boski, the embassy’s economic officer, also attended the meeting.