The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a dialogue yesterday called upon the government to strengthen state run organisations for reduction of dependence on multinational oil companies for ensuring energy security in the country.

"We cannot ensure energy security in the country if we depend on foreign companies for extraction of our mineral and marine resources in long term. It should need to reduce dependency on multinational companies as well as building capacities of Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration Company (BAPEX) and Petrobangla by providing strong financial support for ensuring energy security," they said at a dialogue on "Mineral and Marine Resources of Bangladesh and its Management" at Jatiya Press Club.

The Coalition of Local NGO's, Bangladesh (LANB) organised the dialogue. Prof Dr Md Hossain Mansur of Geography Department of Dhaka University presented the keynote paper while Harunur Rashid, Chairman of LANB presided over the dialogue.

Eng Sheikh Md Shahidullah, Convenor of Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources and Power Port Protection National Committee demanded the resignation of the Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Prof M Tamim for protecting interest of multinational companies rather than Bangladesh's right.

He alleged that the multinational companies have captured mineral and marine resources by spreading propaganda of country's resources.

"We have to ensure right on mineral and marine resources of people by building capacity of state run organisations," Eng Shahidullah said.

The Government should strengthen the national organisations like BAPEX, Petrobangla in this regard, he said.

Prof Badrul Imam of Department of Geography of Dhaka University said we couldn't ensure our energy security before strengthening our own organisations.

He called upon the government to take initiative for reduction mismanagement in this sector.

Maj Gen (Retd) Amin Ahmed Chowdhury, Birbikram said that the Government has not yet taken any step for manpower development in this sector.

He called upon the Government to solve the marine and land territory dispute with the neighbouring India and Myanmar. "We will protect our mineral and marine resources if the Government could solve dispute on marine and land boundary," he observed.

Md Hossain Mansur at his keynote paper said that we have leased the five gas blocks to multinational companies without assessing the countrys' interest. Due to the reason we have bought our own gas at high cost of Tk 210 per thousand cubic feet from multinational companies. It is at Tk 7 only from state run companies.

"The multinational companies have supplied 51 per cent gas of the demand. It was 24 per cent in 2004," he added. Our reserved 12 to 15 TCF gas is likely to run out in 2020, he informed.

Prof Mansur recommended to cancel agreement with Asia Energy and Noko and provided the fund for state run organisations.

Eng Enamul Hoque, Executive Chairman of CLNB Sayed Saidur Rahman Sayed, Nurul Hoq Mehadi, Bangladesh Alliance of Labour Federation General Secretary Mokaddem Hossain, General Secretary of Bangladesh Landless Association Subal Sarker, Labour leaders Harun-Ur-Rasid Bhuyan and Rafiqul Islam addressed on the dialogue.