The New Nation - Internet Edition

Barisal Correspondent

Speakers at a discussion yesterday called for framing energy policy in a way that would defend the interest of the people and take into account its impact on environment, agriculture and livelihood of the people.

They pleaded for involvement of people in the framing of energy and natural resources policy.

They also urged the people to resist any move to plunder natural gas, coal and marine resources by the multinational companies under the cover of offshore block bidding.

The discussion was organised by the National Committee to protect Oil,Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port at the Shahid Abdur Rob Seriniabad Auditorium of Barisal District Bar Association.

The day long programme was presided over by Prof Abdus sattar,Barisal district convener and conducted by Rabindra Nath Roy, member secretary of the committee.

More than 200 people belonging to different walk of life participated in the discussion.

The speakers included Prof. Anu Muhammad of the Jahangirnagar Universitry,Sheikh Md. Shahidullah, convener of the committee, Principal Mizanur rahman,Hiron Kumar Das and Prof Mustafizur Rahman.

Prof. Anu suggested that our government, politicians and businessmen must have to be bold enough to question the prescriptions by donor agencies such as IMF,WB and ADB.

He pointed out that many of the African and Latin American countries endowed with rich natural resources became poor for blindly following advices of these multilateral agencies.

He regretted many of the top functionaries of our countries including ministers and businessmen had worked in the past and still are working as public relations officers of multilateral and multinational companies throwing the interest of the people to the dust.

The companies like the Asian Energy have been able to buy the services of some journalists, bureaucrats and businessmen to tout their interests at the cost of the people and the nation, he noted.

Today the people have only 20 percent ownership of the country's natural resources. The people of the country lost ownership of these resources due to exploitation by the successive governments, civil and military bureaucrats, according to him.

He suggested the government to give sufficient allocation to the energy and mineral resources division, develop skilled manpower and technology and strengthen the Geological Survey of Bangladesh. He also laid stress on taking up hydrocarbon exploration programme in right earnest.

Sheikh Md. Shahidullah warned that they would launch tough movement if the government did not scrap the offshore block bidding and the coal policy.

He said coal has now achieved new focus as gas reserve in Bangladesh is almost drying out.