bd EnergY LinK

Bay gas exploration in 4 yrs likely: FM
Bay gas exploration in 4 yrs likely: FM
Three new urea fertiliser units to be set up: Barua

FE Report

The government’s two-pronged strategy to secure the right of hydrocarbon exploration in the Bay could deliver results in four years as arbitration and the parallel talks continue, foreign minister Dipu Moni said Wednesday.

Speaking at the parliament, she said decades of bitter feud over the territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal with the neighbouring India and Maynamar might be resolved either by bilateral talks or the United Nations-broker arbitration process.

“The caretaker government initiated the maritime talks. We’ve continued it and so far achieved progress,” Ms. Moni told the parliament.

Dipu Moni unveiled the government’s new plan as she responded to a question of independent lawmaker Fazlul Azim.

The Foreign Ministry opted for international arbitration as negotiations got bogged down in the past, she added.

But she said her ministry has also continued bilateral talks with the New Delhi administration to give a signal to the neighbouring nation that Dhaka has kept the door of “amicable settlements” open..

The government says it has the right over 28 oil and gas blocks in the Bay-a purported legal claim India and Myanmar have been dismissing. Both New Delhi and Yangon say they also have the rights of 17 blocks in the disputed waters of the Bay of Bengal.

The bitter acrimony kept successive governments from freezing steps to explore oil and gas in the Bay of Bengal.

In 2008, the caretaker government first resumed maritime talks with India and Myanmar after a gap of 20 years. But it went for international arbitration when rounds of talks doomed into failure.

The Awami League government followed the same path to settle the maritime disputes with India and Myanmar.

Despite resources constraints, Ms. Moni said Bangladesh will “have the access to our vital natural resources in deep waters of the Bay of Bengal in three to four years through the bilateral negotiations.”

If the bilateral talks fail for any reason, she expressed the hope that Dhaka would get “favourable” verdicts from the arbitration process.

The foreign minister alleged no previous government took “decisive steps” to iron out the row over the maritime boundary and nurtured the dispute with the neighbouring nations instead.

Taking part in the parliamentary discussion, industries minister Dilip Barua said the government will set up three additional urea fertiliser factories.

In response to a question from Lakshmipur-2 MP Abul Khair Bhuiyan, he said Shahjalal Fertiliser Project would be built in Sylhet’s Fenchuganj, Bhola Fertiliser Project at Bhola’s Shahbajpur and North-West Fertiliser Project at Syedabad in Sirajganj.

The minister said the construction of the factories will start in phases after the pledges of natural gas supply and foreign investment are made.

State minister for power Muhammad Enamul Haque told the House that a liquid fuel-based rental plant with a capacity of 1,000 to 1,200 megawatt would be built to minimise the severe electricity shortage.

In response to a query from Kishoreganj-3 MP Mujibul Haque, he said the plant will be built for five years.

Responding to a question from Comilla-4 MP ABM Golam Mostofa Haque, the state minister said the daily gas output has increased by 200 million cubic feet since Awami League took office. ­