Energy crisis may take two years to resolve: Commerce minister
Khandakar Abdul Muktadir says expanding terminal capacity, drilling new gas wells and securing LNG imports will help ease the crisis.
Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir today (15 August) said Bangladesh may need about two years to build the infrastructure needed to overcome its ongoing energy crisis.
"It will take about two years to build the necessary infrastructure, including expanding fuel terminal capacity and drilling new gas wells," he told reporters after a district-level workshop on agricultural development in Sylhet.
The minister said the government was working to increase fuel supplies and improve the country's energy self-sufficiency.
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"We need two years in this regard," he said, referring to efforts to expand terminal capacity and drill new gas wells.
Muktadir, also the industry minister, said the government was also working to import LNG from Malaysia to help ease the current shortage.
"The government is working to normalise the energy situation. We are also trying to import LNG from Malaysia," he said.
He said current daily demand for fuel was roughly twice the available supply, while demand typically rises during this period of the year, making the shortage more visible.
Muktadir said ensuring a stable energy supply was essential for attracting investment and sustaining economic growth.
Speaking about agriculture, the minister said the government's next target was to ensure greater returns from farming by fully tapping the sector's potential.
He later inaugurated a divisional tree fair organised by the Forest Department at the Sylhet Government Alia Madrasah field in Sylhet city.
