Safeguarding oil and gas

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A half-day hartal was observed on September 14, at the call of the national committee for safeguarding oil, gas, minerals, power and ports to protest the government's decision to lease out three offshore gas blocks to international companies on, what it alleged, unacceptable terms. The lease terms allow the companies to export 80 per cent of extracted gas.
The people are against the decision as in the near future we will run out of gas supply if it is sold as proposed. When we cannot supply sufficient gas to the domestic consumers, how can we think of exporting it? By ignoring continuous protests and warnings by the experts on this national issue, the government might bring disaster to the country. It has no right to do so without public consent.
The government should seek public opinion on this issue for final decision. In a democracy every citizen has the right to know about national issues. Therefore, all information and data should be placed before the public so that they can express their opinion. We should not allow national and international politics to decide things against the interests of Bangladesh.
We should be united to safeguard our resources for the future generations.
If we do not support hartal, we should find an alternative way to press the issue. The issue calls for vigorous discussions to find a solution. Until then, the government should keep the decision to lease out in abeyance.
Mirza Md. Adwit Rahman
Dhaka University