By Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo
DHAKA, Aug 17, 2022 (BSS) - Immediately after the independence of the country, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, attached the highest priority to ensure energy security and started taking some milestone initiatives coupled with effective policy measures.
Bangabandhu’s farsighted steps ensured energy security as he put the energy and power sector in one of his top agendas in his electoral speech on October 28, 1970, on the eve of the national election, as Bangladesh felt that power and energy security was very important for a country’s development.
Setting electricity as the second vital area after flood protection, he said power generation and distribution should be increased voluminously and an extensive rural electrification programme must be launched to take electricity to the villages so small-scale industries can be established there.
Accordingly, the Father of the Nation in 1972 included electricity in the constitution as a right for people. The visionary leader also launched a milestone initiative for energy security with establishing the Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla) in line with similar mission and vision of Petronas of Malaysia and Pertamina of Indonesia.
Bangabandhu set up primary gas distribution network in Dhaka city and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) in 1972 and then the BPDB started its operation with generation capacity of only 200 megawatts.
He also set up major power generation unit at Ghorashal and Shahjibazar power plant with technical and financial cooperation from Russia.
Bangabandhu's government acquired five major discovered gas fields including Titas, Habiganj, Bakhrabad, Rashidpoor and Koillashtilla from Shell BV Holland at a nominal price on August 9, 1975.
Later, the Awami League Government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been observing August 9, as the National Energy Security Day since 2010 commemorating the historic decision taken by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 9 in 1975.
This year the day was observed with the theme "A Multipurpose Energy-Prosperous Future.
This historical deal opened a big window for meeting the energy needs of the newly independent country. These gas fields are still the backbone of the country's gas and energy sector.
Bangabandhu also introduced the production sharing contract (PSC) under which six international oil companies (IOCs) were involved in oil and gas exploration from eight blocks in the Bay of Bengal.
State Minister for Power Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said the government has taken all-out measures to ensure energy security.
“Though the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict created obstacle in achieving our cherished goal, these could not halt us. Amid the global crisis, the supply of oil, gas and LNG remains uninterrupted in the country” he said.
Following Bangabandhu's path about energy and power, he said, the government is implementing different initiatives attaching highest priority to the energy sector, considering it as the main element for economic growth to achieve the 'Vision-2041'.
Nasrul urged all to keep trust in Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “We can overcome any crisis as well as the ongoing one,” he said and hoped the crisis would also be overcome soon.
The gas production from domestic sources has been increased by about 1000 MMCFD between 2009 and 2022 due to the government pragmatic steps, he said adding gas production in January 2009 was 1,744 million cubic feet per day, which now stands at 3,300 million cubic feet per day, including the imported LNG.
Besieges, based on the gas demand till 2041, the process of setting up a land-based LNG terminal at Matarbari with a capacity of 1,000 cubic feet per day is underway, Nasrul said.
