PM speaks with Anwar Ibrahim after sending letter seeking help

Severe gas shortages have disrupted daily life across the country. Many people have been forced to buy electric stoves, while also relying on liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG. At times, when LPG prices rise abnormally or electricity is unavailable, some have even cooked on wood burning stoves on their rooftops. Such scenes have been witnessed in the capital. Prime Minister Tarek Rahman has taken the severity of the crisis into account. On Monday, he sent a letter to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Recognizing the urgency of the issue, the two prime ministers also spoke by phone this afternoon. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit shared the information with the media. “The Prime Minister has sought Malaysia’s assistance in resolving the ongoing energy problem,” State Minister Amit said.

The country’s gas shortage has intensified for nearly a week after the shutdown of one floating LNG terminal. Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Tuesday, the state minister said Prime Minister Tarek Rahman’s letter was delivered to the Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur today by his Education Adviser Mahdi Amin. He added that Prime Minister Tarek Rahman spoke with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim by phone at 2 pm.

 

The State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources also offered a message of hope. He said Anwar Ibrahim assured Prime Minister Tarek Rahman that Malaysia would do whatever it could to help Bangladesh overcome the crisis. He also assured that he would speak with the relevant ministry in Malaysia as soon as possible and update the prime minister.

“Efforts are now being made to find solutions from other sources. There are not many alternatives, which is why the current crisis emerged after one terminal was shut down. The Prime Minister’s letter also asked whether Malaysia could provide any immediate solution to the ongoing crisis,” the state minister said.

However, he said it would only be possible to comment on the outcome once a response is received. State Minister Amit said the Prime Minister’s letter also asked how soon Malaysia could provide LNG to Bangladesh. According to him, the Malaysian government has been requested to inform the Government of Bangladesh or the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources through the appropriate authorities at the earliest possible time. He said the potential benefits could be assessed once that response is received. “This is a matter of process. Apart from this, work is underway on several other options to increase gas supply. However, the real solution is an onshore LNG terminal.”

The state minister again expressed regret over the suffering caused by the recent gas crisis. He said, “Households, industries, power generation, and public transportation are all suffering. For this, I once again express my regret.”

State Minister Amit said the ministry held discussions earlier in the day with the Vice President of Excelerate Energy, who provided a detailed update on the ongoing work to restore operations at the terminal. He said the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Petrobangla, and RPGCL are working around the clock. The prime minister is also maintaining regular communication.

Responding to a question, Anindya Islam Amit said that once the closed terminal resumes operations, gas supply will increase by 500 million to 550 million cubic feet per day. Of that, supply of 280 million to 300 million cubic feet per day may begin next week. Full supply is expected to return the following week. A government team is working jointly with Excelerate Energy.