The government should ensure maximum transparency in the production sharing contract signed with US oil company ConocoPhillips for oil and gas exploration from two deep-sea blocks, said noted academician Prof Muzaffer Ahmad yesterday.
Terming the contract "opaque", he said it does not guarantee people's ownership on the country's oil and gas, and that transparency must be ensured to establish people's ownership effectively.
He was speaking at a press conference organised by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) at Dhaka Reporters' Unity yesterday.
The government should include a provision in the contract making it mandatory to sell the entire gas except that for recovery cost to Petrobangla to fulfil the country's energy demand, said Prof Ahmad, the president of Bapa.
On the environment issue, he said the nation experienced environmental disasters while exploring gas in the past. "The government should remain alert so the gas and oil exploration does not cause any damage to the environment."
Condemning the police attack on leaders and activists of the national committee to protect oil, gas, mineral resources, power and ports during the half-day hartal last Sunday, he said all sorts of disagreement should be resolved through dialogues, not through violence or by force for the sake of democracy.
Reading out a written statement, Bapa Joint Secretary Zakir Hossain demanded formulation of a law to ban export of mineral resources in order to solve energy crisis in the country.
Bapa General Secretary Abdul Matin also spoke at the press conference.
Source : The Daily Star
