Bangladesh has proposed importing natural gasfrom Myanmar through a cross-border pipeline aspart of efforts to strengthen bilateral energy cooperation with its neighbouring country.
The proposal was made by Bangladesh’s Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, during a meeting with Myanmar’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, H.E. U Kyaw Soe Moe, at the Secretariat in Dhaka on Sunday.
During the meeting, the minister said Bangladesh faces strong domestic demand for natural gas and is keen to explore the possibility of importing gas from Myanmar via pipeline to help meet its growing energy needs.
In response, the Myanmar ambassador welcomed the proposal and said his country was also prepared to discuss the potential supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi minister expressed a positive response to that proposal as well.
The two sides also discussed reviving earlier proposals for a gas pipeline linking Myanmar with the port city of Chattogram in southeastern Bangladesh.
To advance bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, Mr Mahmud proposed a ministerial-level meeting between the two countries. He said Bangladesh would formally invite Myanmar’s energy minister to visit Dhaka and also expressed his willingness to travel to Myanmar if required.
Referring to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent visit to China, the minister noted that a China–Myanmar–Bangladesh economic corridor had been proposed during the trip. He said a gas pipeline connecting Bangladesh and Myanmar could complement such regional connectivity initiatives.
The meeting also covered ways to expand long-term trade relations and deepen energy cooperation between the two neighbours. Mr Mahmud said there remained significant untapped opportunities for collaboration, adding that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was committed to strengthening bilateral ties under a “Neighbour First” approach.
Myanmar’s ambassador suggested that the proposalcould be examined through the Bangladesh–Myanmar Joint Technical Committee.
Also present at the meeting were State Minister forPower, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit, Energy Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam, Power Secretary Mirana Mahrukh and BPDB chairman Rezaul Karim.