Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today expressed hope that the gas supply to industries would return to its previous level from tomorrow, as the government has resolved the problem caused by an accident at one of the country’s two floating LNG terminals, says BSS report.
“Hopefully, InshaAllah, from tomorrow evening, gas supply will return to the level as it was one-and-a-half months ago,” he said while exchanging views with business leaders and media personalities at the Prime Minister’s Office at Bangladesh Secretariat here today.
The three-hour meeting was held to discuss the current situation, challenges and future plans in the country’s power and energy sector, with participants putting forward their views on various issues, said Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.
Explaining the reasons behind the current gas shortage, the Prime Minister said gas supply had been disrupted following an accident at one of the country’s two floating LNG terminals, affecting industries and other sectors. However, he said, the problem had already been resolved.
The premier also sought cooperation from the business community and the media in implementing the government’s plans for the power and energy sector and urged all concerned to give the government time to implement its plans during its tenure without creating instability, saying any disruption would ultimately hurt business, trade and the country’s economy.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit made a presentation titled “Challenges and Future Roadmap of Bangladesh’s Power and Energy Sector” at the meeting.
The Prime Minister described the current problems in the country’s power and energy sector as “inherited problems”, saying it would not be possible to resolve the entire crisis within six months or a year.
“But we have identified the problems, prepared plans and are now at the stage of implementing,” he said.
Tarique Rahman said his government is working within a specific timeframe to restore normalcy in power and energy supplies, adding that successful implementation of the plans would benefit not only business and trade but also the overall economy.
To address the supply deficit, he said the government had taken an initiative to set up a third floating LNG terminal. “The preparations for setting up another terminal on a G2G basis have largely been completed over the past month. The work will begin soon,” he said.
The Prime Minister expressed hope that the government would be able to connect the third terminal to the gas supply system by December 2027.
Stating that the problems in the power sector were longstanding, he said, “After assuming office, the government reviewed the problems, held discussions with the relevant stakeholders and prepared plans to address them.
“Anything needs time, from planning to implementation. The problems in the energy and power sector are inherited. It is not possible to solve them within six months or a year simply by wishing to do so,” he said.
At the meeting, the government also presented to the business leaders tentative timelines for completing various planned activities.
Referring to the timelines, the Prime Minister said there could be some adjustments in implementation, but the government had a specific plan and timeframe before it.