Highlighting the fact that after investing in the industry, he set up a 40 km pipeline with his own money to get gas, trade advisor Sekh Bashir Uddin said, I had to pay a bribe of 20 crore rupees just to get approval for road cutting for the construction of this pipeline. He said this at a seminar organized by Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) at a hotel in the capital on Saturday.
Bashir Uddin also said, 'I had to stand in the rain in front of the state minister's house for gas. Had to listen to many lectures from him. I did not get even the minimum respect. Still have to say yes sir, yes sir. I want to scan some people and see their brains. Why can people be so criminal!'
Energy Advisor Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan was also present on the occasion. Professor Ejaz Ahmed of Bangladesh University of Engineering presented the main article.
Addressing the businessmen and investors, the trade advisor said, 'Those of you who are not getting gas from the pipeline, now install the pipeline at your own expense. I guarantee, you will not have to pay any bribe for this work.'
Electricity and Energy Advisor Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan said in the seminar that the government has saved Tk 360 crore in the last 6 months due to the relaxation of a condition for the import of fuel oil in the private sector. He said that the private sector had to import fuel oil and supply it to BPC as a condition that the supplier should be the owner of the refinery. By relaxing this condition, 360 crore rupees have been saved in 6 months.
Fawzul Kabir said, 'There is a lack of competition in public sector procurement. If you want to do business with the government, you have to know the minister first. Now that environment is not there. I encourage those of you who want to do business with the government in the power and energy sector.'
The adviser said that during the previous government, 23 companies were supplying LNG. We are making it open to everyone. Gas well drilling is also being opened and tendered. Offshore bidding will be held next December.
Apex Group MD Nasim Manjur said, “We have been covering two Rolls Royce generators in our factory in Savar with polythene for three years because gas is not available. Gas is passing five to seven times a day. The factory machines are getting destroyed.'
Abdul Awal Mintu, former president of FBCCI, said that if the gas and electricity crisis is not resolved, there will be no new investment in the country and no employment. This will further increase inflation. He mentioned that the government is only using monetary policy to control inflation.
Former president of FBCCI Mir Nasir Hossain said, there was no such thing as transparency during Awami League. So we have to suffer now. The factory in Gazipur does not get gas while the 250 MW power plant in Mymensingh is getting gas through the same pipeline. He recommended to close the power plant and supply gas to factories in Gazipur.
BCI president Anwar-ul Alam Chowdhury Parvez said, 'I want to say one message clearly, that is that businessmen are not good. Especially those involved in the manufacturing sector, the situation is even worse.'
Professor Ejaz Ahmed said in the original article that the average gas system loss in Bangladesh in the three years from 2020 is 9.82 percent, which has an annual value of about 1 billion dollars. He referred to it as 'theft' instead of system loss.
However, Petrobangla Chairman Janendra Nath Sarkar objected to this information of system loss. He said the average system loss of Petrobangla is 5-6 percent. But the system loss of Titus and Bakhrabad is very high. In Keraniganj, illegal lines were closed in 200 industries. Now the campaign will continue in Narayanganj. The traders who took illegal connections during the raids are insulting the Petrobangla magistrates. He wants the cooperation of businessmen in this regard.
