National (?) Oil, Gas, Power, Mineral Resource and Port Protection Committee have demanded immediate termination the assignment of DR. M. Tamim Special Assistant of Chief Advisor for Energy. According to them, Dr Tamim is acting as agent of imperialist and multinational companies engaged in looting natural and national resources. The allegation is really serious. If there is any merit of what they are saying this will be essential to do something soon. Some one acting as agent of imperialist can not remain in privileged position he really so?
Let us look into the whole affair. Who is this committee? What they are up to? What else other than creating the present indifferent situation in our energy situation, massive decline of FDI they have achieved so far? Are they all very committed and successful professionals in their respective areas of work? Are they aware that for their hue and cry successive governments failed to take appropriate decisions to explore and exploit country’s energy resources in time to meet the present demand and emerging crisis? Are they aware that their action is directly or indirectly benefiting energy sector mafias, coal merchants and smugglers? Are they aware that their actions are benefiting neighbouring countries in accessing our resources in the Bay of Bengal unchallenged? Can they raise fund for BAPEX to explore for gas and oil in all areas? Are they aware that it will take at least 10 years for BAPEX to acquire all technology and expertise to even explore in deeper structures onshore, not to speak about offshore? Are they aware that the country does not have any expertise to explore and develop coal resource at this moment?
Definitely they know all answers but they are still agitating. Dr Tamim is an experienced Petroleum Engineer, a very keen learner and as far as I know he is no lesser patriot than most of us. The author differs with him on several issues but can not accept the blame that he is an agent of imperialist and multinational companies. If our self styled patriots can produce any authentic document then USA or UK where from the IOCs originate will take actions. Companies of these countries are bound by very stringent anti corruption rules of business. These countries have very strong policies to handle such issues. The rival companies will also pounce on any such incident.
Since Tamim took charge he has tried desperately to roll things moving. One of the successes is definitely the progress made in deep water drilling. The PSC document has lot of value additions in favour of Bangladesh government obviously from our now very significant exposure to production sharing contracts. When CTG is about to complete approval process the idenfied group has started agitation.
CTG is doing so many things for steadying our rocking boat then why they can not make ward of blocks to IOCs for deep water drilling as the selection process was very transparent. Who does not know that India and Myanmar want us to delay such exploration efforts? Has ever any government in the past gone for public opinion for any such cases? When the draft PSC was on website why our so called experts did not give their expert opinion? Energy experts are not raising any questions about how those persons raising alarm are handling the affairs in their own places or who are funding them to rally here and carrying out propaganda missions abroad.
We should have engaged IOCs for deep water drilling long time back and we all know Bangladesh do not have any technical expertise or resources for this work and will require decade to achieve it. The way this patriots are agitating it can create doubts in people’s mind whether this group is acting as agents of imperialist neighbors? So DR Tamim can be given benefit of doubt for deep water drilling and should rather give credit for it. If the selected IOCs are engaged now they may be in a position to commence exploration works in 2009 and we may get some good news by 2011. Further delay will not only make our situation terrible but also will leave India and Myanmar unchallenged in adjacent and some say in our own water.
Petrobangla, EMRD and other public companies engaged in energy business have definite mandate to carry out assigned responsibilities. There are laid down procedures for taking up projects and getting these approved. For carrying out their assigned works it is not required to seek people’s mandate. Well some very lopsided and anti people contracts like Scimitar deal, Niko Scandal, award of Petrobangla owned field to Occidental in the past must have reasons to be agitated .But this government is the first which has taken positive initiative to probe the irregularities. Definitely these are not happening without the knowledge of DR. Tamim. Then can we take some clue that the present action of the so called patriots has been fanned up by the beneficiaries of those scams?
Petrobangla companies have failed to accomplish their assigned responsibilities. Why Petrobangla did not arrange required fund to strengthen BPAX with men and materials? Why Bapex is lying idle with several vital exploration blocks 8 & 11? Why Petrobangla companies failed to carry out 3D seismic survey of major fields and expand its capacity in several years? So if the protection committee is to agitate at all it should agitate against these failures. What the protection committee is doing about leaking Titas gas field? Is not the protection of dangerously leaking Titas gas field urgent? Slowly and surely the situation is emerging in a way that the actions of the committee is serving purpose of hostile neighbours who do not want Bangladesh to become self reliant in energy , self sufficient in anything . Why the so called patriots do not agitate when India unethically trying to deprive Bangladesh from its right on South Talpatty island?
This protection committee is solely responsible for the uneasy situation in the coal belt. They have agitated people and should bear the responsibility for the loss of life of innocent misguided people. What other options Bangladesh have than to aggressively go for coal mining? What methods other than surface mining can economically recover sufficient coal safely to meet the countries energy demand? These people if they are truly patriot must agitate to ensure that the affected people are adequately compensated, properly rehabilitated and the environmental impacts are effectively mitigated. But their actions have confused the policy makers. The consequence is massive shortage of energy in National Energy Grid. Investors local and foreign are getting increasingly frustrated. Can Bangladesh ever come out of the vicious circle of poverty if there are not massive investments in down stream manufacturing sector to boost our export, to create employment for our unemployed masses?
Our journalists should also be extremely careful about these issues. In this time of IT boom all news of print media are floated right across the globe. Any news which apparently creates doubts and confusions about investment climate of the country creates bad image, discourages investors. Even the local investors, Business group are anxious
We should try to realise in the last two years despite of relative over all discipline, much better law and order situation the flow of FDI recorded massive decline in Bangladesh while it recorded significant increase elsewhere. Is this a happy situation for Bangladesh? In the name of protection what our committee is protecting?. Will Bangladesh get swept away into Bay of Bengal with all its resources buried underground? Or we will explore and exploit this to c endeavour for achieving long term energy security? These people are hypocrites it seems.
Dr Tamim has several failures but his action for initiating deep water drilling can not be the reason to seek his removal.
Let us look into the whole affair. Who is this committee? What they are up to? What else other than creating the present indifferent situation in our energy situation, massive decline of FDI they have achieved so far? Are they all very committed and successful professionals in their respective areas of work? Are they aware that for their hue and cry successive governments failed to take appropriate decisions to explore and exploit country’s energy resources in time to meet the present demand and emerging crisis? Are they aware that their action is directly or indirectly benefiting energy sector mafias, coal merchants and smugglers? Are they aware that their actions are benefiting neighbouring countries in accessing our resources in the Bay of Bengal unchallenged? Can they raise fund for BAPEX to explore for gas and oil in all areas? Are they aware that it will take at least 10 years for BAPEX to acquire all technology and expertise to even explore in deeper structures onshore, not to speak about offshore? Are they aware that the country does not have any expertise to explore and develop coal resource at this moment?
Definitely they know all answers but they are still agitating. Dr Tamim is an experienced Petroleum Engineer, a very keen learner and as far as I know he is no lesser patriot than most of us. The author differs with him on several issues but can not accept the blame that he is an agent of imperialist and multinational companies. If our self styled patriots can produce any authentic document then USA or UK where from the IOCs originate will take actions. Companies of these countries are bound by very stringent anti corruption rules of business. These countries have very strong policies to handle such issues. The rival companies will also pounce on any such incident.
Since Tamim took charge he has tried desperately to roll things moving. One of the successes is definitely the progress made in deep water drilling. The PSC document has lot of value additions in favour of Bangladesh government obviously from our now very significant exposure to production sharing contracts. When CTG is about to complete approval process the idenfied group has started agitation.
CTG is doing so many things for steadying our rocking boat then why they can not make ward of blocks to IOCs for deep water drilling as the selection process was very transparent. Who does not know that India and Myanmar want us to delay such exploration efforts? Has ever any government in the past gone for public opinion for any such cases? When the draft PSC was on website why our so called experts did not give their expert opinion? Energy experts are not raising any questions about how those persons raising alarm are handling the affairs in their own places or who are funding them to rally here and carrying out propaganda missions abroad.
We should have engaged IOCs for deep water drilling long time back and we all know Bangladesh do not have any technical expertise or resources for this work and will require decade to achieve it. The way this patriots are agitating it can create doubts in people’s mind whether this group is acting as agents of imperialist neighbors? So DR Tamim can be given benefit of doubt for deep water drilling and should rather give credit for it. If the selected IOCs are engaged now they may be in a position to commence exploration works in 2009 and we may get some good news by 2011. Further delay will not only make our situation terrible but also will leave India and Myanmar unchallenged in adjacent and some say in our own water.
Petrobangla, EMRD and other public companies engaged in energy business have definite mandate to carry out assigned responsibilities. There are laid down procedures for taking up projects and getting these approved. For carrying out their assigned works it is not required to seek people’s mandate. Well some very lopsided and anti people contracts like Scimitar deal, Niko Scandal, award of Petrobangla owned field to Occidental in the past must have reasons to be agitated .But this government is the first which has taken positive initiative to probe the irregularities. Definitely these are not happening without the knowledge of DR. Tamim. Then can we take some clue that the present action of the so called patriots has been fanned up by the beneficiaries of those scams?
Petrobangla companies have failed to accomplish their assigned responsibilities. Why Petrobangla did not arrange required fund to strengthen BPAX with men and materials? Why Bapex is lying idle with several vital exploration blocks 8 & 11? Why Petrobangla companies failed to carry out 3D seismic survey of major fields and expand its capacity in several years? So if the protection committee is to agitate at all it should agitate against these failures. What the protection committee is doing about leaking Titas gas field? Is not the protection of dangerously leaking Titas gas field urgent? Slowly and surely the situation is emerging in a way that the actions of the committee is serving purpose of hostile neighbours who do not want Bangladesh to become self reliant in energy , self sufficient in anything . Why the so called patriots do not agitate when India unethically trying to deprive Bangladesh from its right on South Talpatty island?
This protection committee is solely responsible for the uneasy situation in the coal belt. They have agitated people and should bear the responsibility for the loss of life of innocent misguided people. What other options Bangladesh have than to aggressively go for coal mining? What methods other than surface mining can economically recover sufficient coal safely to meet the countries energy demand? These people if they are truly patriot must agitate to ensure that the affected people are adequately compensated, properly rehabilitated and the environmental impacts are effectively mitigated. But their actions have confused the policy makers. The consequence is massive shortage of energy in National Energy Grid. Investors local and foreign are getting increasingly frustrated. Can Bangladesh ever come out of the vicious circle of poverty if there are not massive investments in down stream manufacturing sector to boost our export, to create employment for our unemployed masses?
Our journalists should also be extremely careful about these issues. In this time of IT boom all news of print media are floated right across the globe. Any news which apparently creates doubts and confusions about investment climate of the country creates bad image, discourages investors. Even the local investors, Business group are anxious
We should try to realise in the last two years despite of relative over all discipline, much better law and order situation the flow of FDI recorded massive decline in Bangladesh while it recorded significant increase elsewhere. Is this a happy situation for Bangladesh? In the name of protection what our committee is protecting?. Will Bangladesh get swept away into Bay of Bengal with all its resources buried underground? Or we will explore and exploit this to c endeavour for achieving long term energy security? These people are hypocrites it seems.
Dr Tamim has several failures but his action for initiating deep water drilling can not be the reason to seek his removal.
Source:Energy Bangla, Bangladesh
Date : 07/10/08
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