Skilled BAPEX officials quitting jobs regularly

Experienced and skilled officials are regularly leaving the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX), State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources told parliament on Thursday, reports UNB.

Despite getting financial and other privileges in BAPEX, the trend of leaving job by the experienced and competent officials can not be prevented, Nasrul Hamid said, replying to a starred question from Tahjeeb Alam Siddiqui (Jhenidah-2).

Responding to another starred question from Ayeen Uddin (Rajshahi-3), he said the highest production of gas is 2,365 million cubic feet a day against the demand of 2,950 million cubic feet. The reserve of extractable gas was 14.94 TCF (trillion cubic feet) in June 2014, he said, answering a starred question from Israfil Alam (Noagaon-6).

"If no new gas-field is discovered, gas can be supplied from this reserve for 10-15 years. But the deficit will increase."

In reply to a scripted question from M Abdul Latif (Chittagong-11), Nasrul Hamid said the government has a plan to increase prices of pipeline gas in a bid to reduce discrimination with the prices of bottled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The government is trying to encourage use of LPG at home to reduce the use of pipeline gas, he added.