Prime Minister expresses regret over electricity crisis
PM Tarique Rahman. Photo taken from video footage.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said, "The people of Bangladesh are suffering from electricity shortages. I sincerely express my sorrow for that."
He made this remark during a speech at a prayer (doa-munajat) and distribution of aid to the helpless and poor at the T&T ground in Mohakhali today (Saturday), on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the late BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Referring to the gas and electricity crisis in the country, the Prime Minister said in his speech, "In a country of 20 crore (200 million) people, we never claim that we have accomplished all development in the last 6 months. That is not possible, that is unrealistic. The fascist government has left behind debts of about 3 lakh crore (300 billion) taka in various ways, particularly in the electricity sector alone. I know that for the past few days, people across the country—in villages, hamlets, and in some cases in district towns, upazila and district headquarters—have been suffering from electricity shortages. They are suffering from gas shortages. Gas is a natural resource of Bangladesh. For the past 17 years, the autocrats did not drill a single well for this natural resource, nor did they allow it to be done. Rather, they left the sector in the hands of foreigners. As soon as we came to power, we decided that the state-owned company Bapex would quickly start drilling gas wells in the country's soil, so that control of gas wells remains in the hands of the people of the country."
The Prime Minister said, "Now, a large portion of this gas has to be imported from abroad by ships. In the last 15 years, fascism has arranged only two storages for that gas. And even that was done in such a way that their own people could benefit from it. The initiative for another ship that was taken during the interim government has been cancelled. The gas problem today arose because one of the two ships met with an accident."
Regarding the resolution of the crisis, the head of the government said, "The technical fault has already been repaired. I hope that within the next few days, the gas problem will largely subside. The people of Bangladesh are suffering from electricity shortages. I sincerely express my sorrow for that. However, we are working to protect people from this hardship as quickly as possible. I hope that we will be able to bring people out of this suffering soon, so that they can live in some relief."
