Oil and gas issue
Police attack on the activists of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports is really very unfortunate. People who want to protect the resources of the country should not be treated in such a way, rather the government should have co-operated with them. I am shocked to see Prof Anu Mohammad in the hospital and asked myself whether we live in Bangladesh or in East Pakistan. This AL government always claims that it is a pro-people and pro-independent force but in reality the government has awarded an Ireland-based company the shallow water block SS-08-05 and a US oil company deep sea blocks DS-08-10 and 11 in the Bay of Bengal for oil and gas exploration with agreement, empowering them to export 80% of the gas at a time when the whole nation is facing serious power shortage. Many African countries have huge gas and oil reserves but still they are poor because of the anti-people agreement between their corrupt governments and multinational companies involved in the exploration of oil and gas. We must not make such a blunder like African governments. There are many companies which will agree to look into the interest of Bangladesh and we can get technological help from them as well. The decision on the export of gas and oil has to be taken by the people of Bangladesh or by the government if it is really pro-people. When Sheikh Hasina was the leader of the opposition she said that we should export gas, keeping reserves for 50 years. Now after becoming prime minister she agreed to export 80% of the gas to be explored. Regarding the attack on the peaceful demonstration, I demand punishment to the person who ordered police to do so.
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