A just-approved draft energy policy is aimed at ensuring uninterrupted and safe fuel-oil supply across Bangladesh, a government body says and dispels doubts over the move to involve private corporates in the trade.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) issued a statement Saturday to dispel a rising confusion surrounding the proposed "Policy on Import, Storage, Transportation, Distribution, and Marketing of Refined Fuel at the Private Level 2026".
"Its core objectives include strengthening national energy security, maintaining a continuous supply system, and creating a transparent, competitive framework," stated the EMRD under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MPEMR).
"The policy aims to utilise private-sector infrastructure and investment capacity alongside the existing government system during emergencies or crises, in national interest," it clarified.
The policy will be finalised after receiving opinions and recommendations from all stakeholders in the energy sector.
"Such a policy will only be considered if it ensures public interest, energy security, a competitive market system, transparency, and accountability," reads the statement.
"Therefore, this policy does not allow any scope for granting special privileges to any individual, institution, or group," it adds.
The division also observed that some media outlets and social-media platforms recently have been publishing "speculative and false information" regarding the proposed policy, which is undesirable.
The EMRD has also requested all concerned to act responsibly in this regard.
Meanwhile, natural gas supply across the country has improved further from Saturday with increased supply to industries, power plants and household consumers as the LNG regasification from the damaged FSRU ramped up to around 250 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd). A cargo from BP Singapore Pte Ltd delivered new liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) on Friday night to increase overall LNG regasification to 733mmcfd from previous day's 515mmcfd to reach the country's overall gas supply to 2,367 mmcfd, Petrobangla's director for operations and mines, and PSC Md Shoeb told The Financial Express on Saturday.
The damaged FSRU resumed operation from early hours on August 6 with its one boiler out of total two repaired, he said.
"It might resume full-scale operation within one week," the Petrobangla official hopes.
Gas supplies across the country have increased with the resumption of the FSRU, he added.
Industries, power plants, and household consumers are now getting more gas with higher pressure compared to the crisis period in the past two weeks.
The abrupt operation closure of the FSRU on July 21 had affected delivery of two LNG cargoes carried by Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd and TotalEnergies Gas & Power Ltd.
