PM expresses regret over gas, power crises

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday expressed his regret for the countrywide public sufferings caused by the ongoing acute shortage of cooking gas and electricity.

“I am expressing my earnest regret for the sufferings people are enduring amid the power crisis,” he said while handing over cash payouts to poverty-stricken households at the T&T Field, Banani in the capital on the occasion of the 82nd birth anniversary of former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

The current power crisis is the result of a technical glitch in one of the two LNG floating terminals, which will be fixed soon, Tarique said.

For a long-term solution, the BNG government would place a 10-year plan in the next parliamentary session starting 27 August, Tarique said.

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He blamed the ousted Awami League government for the crisis as it left a huge Tk3 lakh crore debt in the power and energy sector, and refused to utilise domestic resources to serve its own interests.

The Awami League regime also declined to permit the building of a third LNG floating terminal, Tarique said.

Now, the BNP government is working with China and Malaysia on building the third offshore terminal for LNG imports. However, the entire development work would take some time, Tarique said, urging the countrymen to have patience until then.

He also criticised a section of opposition politicians who are protesting the government’s actions over the power and gas crisis with symbols like a “rural fire-lit lamps” but also using electricity-powered fans behind them.

People do not accept such kind of hypocrisy, the PM said.

Politics should be done for people’s welfare, not for spreading “confusions,” Tarique said.

These politicians were not seen on the streets during Awami League’s 17 years of fascist rule, while every activist of the ruling BNP survived repression on the streets through the regime’s time in power, Tarique said.

Now the same “missing politicians” are speaking loudly, spreading confusions and threatening to “take to the streets,” Tarique said. But people no longer support vandalism and chaos on the streets by political activists.

The premier challenged the Opposition to, if they have the “guts,” take to the field with a spade in hand to work for the people.

Tarique told the Opposition that if they have any workable plan to resolve the power crisis within three to six months they should place it before the parliament.

The BNP government will implement the plan if it is feasible, Tarique added.