Stop plans to let foreigners explore gas onshore

A group of university teachers yesterday protested, what they said, government plans to allow foreign companies more scope to explore and drill out onshore gas.

They were addressing a meeting Dhaka University's (DU) Centre for Advanced Research in Sciences organised on its campus, participated by some faculties of DU, Jahangirnagar University and Daffodil University.

Prof Badrul Imam of DU's geology department said onshore oil and gas blocks should be opened only to local companies like Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) and Petrobangla.

Bapex has shown its capability by discovering gas and oil blocks and extracting petroleum, he said, adding that foreign companies would establish full control on the country's gas resources if the blocks were opened up to them.

Prof Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, said lobbyists were helping foreign companies attain petroleum resources which would put Bangladesh's energy security in jeopardy.

Foreign companies take away a large portion of the discoveries, resulting in huge losses for the country. “Bapex and Petrobangla must be modernised so they can perform better,” he said.

Professors MM Akash, Robaet Ferdous, Shamsul Alam, Shafiquzzaman, Akmal Hossain and Azizur Rahman also spoke.