Make proposed coal policy public

Terming the proposed policy export-biased, they said that if the policy is finalised without consultations with the people and experts, it will serve the interests of foreign companies instead of the nation.

They also said mineral resources should be used only in the country, as the constitution says people are ultimately the owners of all resources.

Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) organised the press conference on 'Energy policy: Present situation' at Dhaka Reporters' Unity auditorium.

The speakers urged the caretaker government not to go for fourth round bidding for offshore oil and gas exploration for signing production-sharing contracts with international oil companies.

The caretaker government should leave that decision to the next elected government, they added.

After the energy policy adopted in 1996 was published, several agreements were signed during the third round bidding for four blocks, but most of them still remain ineffective, they added.

Presenting a keynote paper, Nuruddin Mahmud Kamal, former chairman of Power Development Board, said the caretaker government should not take any initiatives regarding gas and coal exports.

"Rather, formulating a guideline on power and energy sector development for the next elected government is an important task for the present government," he added.

He also said Petrobangla, the state-run oil, gas and mineral corporation, which produces and supplies around 550 billion cubic feet gas a year, gives Tk 2500 crore in revenue to the government's exchequer.

But any part of that amount is not being used in developing gas well, he said, adding that if 10 percent of the revenue is ploughed back into gas well development programmes, it would be possible for Petrobangla to further explore several billions of cubic feet gas.

He also urged the government to reshuffle the Energy Regulatory Commission immediately.

Prof Abu Ahmed of economics department, Dhaka University, suggested that the government can raise capital from the country's stock market to generate power instead of inviting international companies for this purpose.

Prof Kazi Saleh Ahmed, former vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, and Zakir Hossain of Bapa were also present at the press conference.