Energy coop to dominate Dhaka-Yangon talks

 Nizam Ahmed

Cooperation in energy sector is likely to dominate bilateral talks between the prime ministers of Bangladesh and Myanmar during their meeting in Yangon early next month, officials said on Saturday.

Sheikh Hasina will visit Yangon from December 5 to 7 on an invitation from her Myanmar counterpart U Thein Sein, to strengthen bilateral cooperation in all possible fields and remove irritants between the two close Asian neighbours.

"The visit is also important as the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) of the UN is set to give a ruling in the middle of the next year on a maritime boundary dispute between the two countries," a senior official of the foreign ministry told the FE.

The ITLOS heard both the countries in September last on their respective claims on certain gas-blocks in the Bay of Bengal, he said. When its ruling comes, it will also be effective on a similar maritime-boundary dispute between Bangladesh and India.

However, ITLOS may also accept any sort of amicable settlement among the disputing countries, if there is any, senior diplomats said citing previous settlements of disputes between other countries.

"Every subject of possible cooperation in all fields and removal of all disputes would be discussed between the two prime ministers," Abul Kalam Azad, press secretary to PM Hasina told the FE.

"Shopping for natural gas seems to be the first priority of the visit though no formal agreement is likely to be signed now," said an executive of an international energy firm in Dhaka.

Bangladesh expects to put forward its intention to buy natural gas at the market price from Myanmar, which recently started tapping the natural resource from a large gas field in Rakhine state (formerly Arakan), near Bangladesh, an official of the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources said.

Bangladesh has been running short of 500 million cubic feet (mmcft) of gas against its requirement for 2.5 billion cubic feet.

The shortage keeps several gas-fired power plants out of generation, leading to, at least, 2,000 mega watt deficit during the peak-hours, when the demand shoots up to 7,000 mw, officials of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) said.

Bangladesh will assess the possibilities for setting up a power plant there and taking lease of arable land for cultivation, another government official said.

However, Myanmar did not reply to such a proposal about leasing out land to any foreign country for cultivation in Arakan. Such a proposal was earlier put forward by the immediate past army-backed caretaker government of Bangladesh.

Setting up of direct air and shipping links, easing procedures for issuing business visas of the respective countries and introduction of other facilities for banking and financial transactions will also be discussed, foreign ministry officials said.

On political issues, Dhaka will also request Yangon to repatriate all of its registered and unregistered Rohingya Muslim refugees from the country where they have been languishing for decades.

There are some 28,500 registered refugees in two camps, run jointly by the government of Bangladesh and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

They are remnants of some 250,000 Rohingyas who fled Myanmar, alleging persecution by the then ruling military junta there in 1992.

Most of them were repatriated under the management of UNHCR. Meanwhile, some 300,000 Rohingyas -- mostly economic refugees -- intruded into Bangladesh and are living in scattered groups, causing multi-faceted socio-economic problems in the country.

Source: thefinancialexpress-bd.com

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CAB puts people on resources in draft energy policy

Staff correspondent

The consumers Association of Bangladesh developed a draft energy policy setting from this national energy security and maximum use of energy resources could be ensured only through the establishment of the people of the resources.

A five-Member Committee of experts of the Association prepared the constitutional obligation of the State, a vision, 13 reflect the design, contains 74 strategic topics, objectives and tasks of 300.

It stressed the need to strengthen government agencies involved in oil, gas and coal exploration and production for sustainable electricity production at the lowest possible cost and industrialization.

Dhaka geology Khan, also a member of the Expert Committee, placed on the energy policy draft to a Wednesday round Professor Aftab Alam table, visited by the Government and non-State actors in the energy sector.

Mosharraf Hossain, former Chairman of the State oil, gas and mineral resources Corporation, also known as Petrobangla, led the Expert Committee in the preparation of the policy.

The Association organized to enrich a number of discussions in seven business areas of the design and public opinion in its favor, said Taifur Rahman, Member of the Expert Committee.

The Club then it will present the Government for the draft to be considered, prior to the conclusion of the national energy policy, he said.

Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Chair, Syed Yusuf Hossain, legislature for the constituency of Naogaon 3 Mohammad Akram Hossain, action aid Director Farah Kabir, oil and gas body Member Secretary ANU Mohammad, energy expert Shamsul Alam and Shokaler Khabor online editor Kazi Abdul Hannan, among others participated in the discussion part.

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| Source: newagebd.com

Greater South Asian coop in trade, connectivity, energy, food stressed

With the fear of a double-dip recession casting a shadow over the global economy, South Asian nations must fend for themselves by stepping up regional efforts in trade, connectivity, energy and food security, a forum was told Sunday.

Top officials and experts at the two-day long Fourth South Asia Economic Summit (SAES IV) said the eight nations that make up the SAARC should also strike close ties with Central Asia to tap into the latter's rich energy reserve.

They also called upon the governments in the region to issue visas more liberally, as increased contact among the peoples is key to foster ties and boost trade and business between the eight nations.

Private think-tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) organised the SAES IV on 'Global Recovery, New Risks and Sustainable Growth: Repositioning South Asia' at a city hotel. Sunday was the closing day of the forum.

Member of CPD Board of Trustees and former finance minister M Syeduzzaman presided over the plenary session titled "Towards an Inclusive Growth in South Asia: Role of Regional Cooperation".

Chief guest Muhammad Faruk Khan, the Bangladeshi commerce minister, said the SA nations have failed to exploit the region's rich trade potentials owing to distrust sown by the politicians.

But in the wake of a sputtering global growth, the South Asian countries must set aside differences and bump up intra-regional economic ties to transform the region into a global growth engine.

"I believe close cooperation in economic and trade areas in SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) will help boost the momentum of growth that we already witnessed," the minister said.

"There are ample reasons to make us optimistic in this regard. Our region (South Asia) is bestowed with tremendous untapped potential, and together we can explore and make the best use of it for our mutual benefit," he added.

He said that South Asia lived up to its growth potential in the last decade and the "prevailing scenario suggests that the region would continue to remain so in near future".

He regretted that the politicians had used trade to settle scores between the nations.

"Over the period trade has been used as political weapon denying the benefit to our common people. We need to get out of this unhealthy practice. We should keep trade and economic cooperation above politics," the minister said.

He hoped SAES IV will provide useful inputs for development of SAARC vision in the area of trade and economic cooperation.

Senior Adviser Minister for Economic Affairs to the President of Afghanistan Dr Sham L Bathija laid emphasis on people to people contacts in South Asia, which is home to one-fourth of global human population.

The visiting minister strongly backed issuing multiple visas for businessmen to make sure the entrepreneurs can move freely exploring new avenues of growth in the region.

He said as a landlocked country -Afghanistan- could be benefited if broad-based regional connectivity in South Asia is established.

Executive Director of Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) Dr Saman Kelegama said regional cooperation is necessary to alleviate poverty and improve quality of people's lives.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Atiur Rahman said warming bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India has played a crucial role in fostering recent cooperation in a raft of sectors.

"Good bilateral ties help build sound base for fruitful multilateral co-operation in the region," the governor said.

M Syeduzzaman said the governments of South Asia must take actions for reducing poverty and inclusive growth.

"Ensuring political justice, regional connectivity, cooperation on energy and power, employment generation in rural non-firm sectors are needed in South Asia," Mr. Syeduzzaman said

In addition, concerted efforts are a must for facing the fallouts of climate change in order to increase farm production for food security in South Asia, he said.

Director General (DG) of National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) of India Dr Shekhar Shah, Chairman of Druk Holding and Investments and former minister for trade and industries of Bhutan Dr Lyonpo Om Pradhan and Research Fellow of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and former adviser to the Planning Commission of Pakistan Dr Vaqar Ahmed also spoke.

Source: thefinancialexpress-bd.com

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