Narinjara news


Dhaka refutes India reports on transit for Burma gas

Dhaka, 3 June 03: Bangladesh has refuted an Indian press report that it agreed to allow transit facility for the supply of natural gas from Burma and Tripura to West Bengal through pipeline, according to today’s independent quoted from UNB.

“ It is not correct. No decision has so far been taken in this regards,” state minister for Energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain told UNB when asked about the report published in the Time of India yesterday.

“ There is a proposal to allow Bangladesh’s land for transmitting gas from Burma and tripura to West Bengal. We are reviewing the proposal, but not decision has been made yet,” he said.

The minister said a decision in this regard would be taken in due course of time and made public, as the present government believes in transparency.

Quoting the West Bengal state government sources the times of India reported that Bangladesh has agreed to the proposal to use its territory for gas transmission from Burma and Tripura.

But, it said, Bangladesh put a condition that the same pipeline grid will be used by state-owned Petrobangla for domestic supply as well as gas export, if Dhaka decides to export to India and other countries.

The Time of India quoted West Bengal Industry Ministry Nirupam Sen as saying that the state was looking for gas from Bangladesh to boost fuel-efficient and eco-friendly industry.

We have already told the Centre that West Bengal’s requirements have to be meet first,” Sen told the Times of India. But State Minister for Energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain told UNB that no decision regarding gas export has yet been taken.#