Dhaka: Electricity, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan said, ‘There is a huge fuel gas crisis in the country, so a huge amount of foreign exchange has to be spent on gas import. To overcome the gas crisis, five gas wells will be drilled in Bhola by 2025. And there is a plan to drill 14 more, making a total of 19 gas wells by 2028.’
He said this in response to questions from journalists after visiting the Ilisha-1 gas field in Bhola on Friday (November 1) afternoon.
The energy adviser said, ‘Our country is still facing a severe gas crisis. We now need 4,000 MC of gas, but we are getting only 2,000. We are currently importing gas from different countries, which is spending a huge amount of foreign exchange. LNG worth about Tk. 6,000 crore is imported annually to meet the deficit. We are trying hard to create new gas fields and become gas production-oriented.’
Fawzul Kabir Khan said, ‘From now on, no project will be taken up without open competition and we will give work to those from whom we get good proposals through tender. Advice from an expert committee will be taken in these cases. No irregularities will be allowed.’
He said, ‘We have taken up all the big projects. But we did not give importance to the needs of the people, so corruption has increased in such big projects. We want to give importance to the needs of the people.’
The adviser said, ‘At the moment, gas will be provided to homes, this is a false assurance for us. Since I will not do politics, I will not give such false assurances. However, in the future, when the gas supply increases across the country, then this issue will be considered.’
Regarding the visit to Bhola, he said, ‘The purpose of coming here is to see the possibility of getting more gas and what can be done to get more gas. The gas that has been discovered here (in Bhola) is not being fully utilized.’
During the one-day visit, the adviser inspected Elisha-1, Bhola North-1 gas well, Borhanuddin Shahbazpur gas field and two power plants in Borhanuddin.
At that time, he assured to solve the power problem of Bhola and establish gas-based industrial plants. Secretary of the Ministry of Power and Energy, Chairman of Petrobangla, Bhola Deputy Commissioner Azad Jahan and other senior officials were present.#