Oil, gas committee slams foreign 'handovers'
Sunday, 20 July 2008
A national committee for the protection of natural resources criticised the government Friday for 'handing over' the country's offshore oil and gas blocks to foreign firms without people's consent, reports bdnews24.com.
Member secretary of the national committee for protection of oil, gas, mineral resources, power and port, Anu Muhammad, said that this government had no right to lease out oil and gas without people's consent
Speaking at a press conference in the city, he said, "All attempts to hand over oil and gas to foreign companies keeping the sea unprotected must be stopped immediately."
Petrobangla has recently selected two foreign firms-US company ConcoPhilips and Ireland's Tullow-for gas extraction in nine offshore blocks.
"If such attempts inside and outside the government regarding national resources continue, we will be forced to wage a movement mobilising experts from different professions and classes alongside the public," Anu Muhammad said.
Rallies, meetings and discussion meetings will be held in five districts from July 26 to 30, the committees meber secretary said.
"If the government does not make its position clear by then, a protest rally will be held at Muktangon on July 30."
Convenor of the committee, engineer Sheikh Md Shahidullah, also addressed the press conference. "Tenders cannot be floated under the present PSC (Production Sharing Contract) model. If it is done, people have to be informed about it," he added.
Cautioning the chief adviser's special assistant in charge of power and energy, he said, "If any agreement is signed under the PSC model, we will file case against (M) Tamim."
The present un-elected caretaker government had no right to finalise the coal policy, he added.
Dhaka University economics professor MM Akash and Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology lecturer Shamsul Alam were among those present.
Member secretary of the national committee for protection of oil, gas, mineral resources, power and port, Anu Muhammad, said that this government had no right to lease out oil and gas without people's consent
Speaking at a press conference in the city, he said, "All attempts to hand over oil and gas to foreign companies keeping the sea unprotected must be stopped immediately."
Petrobangla has recently selected two foreign firms-US company ConcoPhilips and Ireland's Tullow-for gas extraction in nine offshore blocks.
"If such attempts inside and outside the government regarding national resources continue, we will be forced to wage a movement mobilising experts from different professions and classes alongside the public," Anu Muhammad said.
Rallies, meetings and discussion meetings will be held in five districts from July 26 to 30, the committees meber secretary said.
"If the government does not make its position clear by then, a protest rally will be held at Muktangon on July 30."
Convenor of the committee, engineer Sheikh Md Shahidullah, also addressed the press conference. "Tenders cannot be floated under the present PSC (Production Sharing Contract) model. If it is done, people have to be informed about it," he added.
Cautioning the chief adviser's special assistant in charge of power and energy, he said, "If any agreement is signed under the PSC model, we will file case against (M) Tamim."
The present un-elected caretaker government had no right to finalise the coal policy, he added.
Dhaka University economics professor MM Akash and Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology lecturer Shamsul Alam were among those present.