Referring to remarks by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar today said the government should take effective steps to address the energy crisis instead of reviving old political controversies to obscure the causes of public suffering.
“Whenever rulers fail to provide answers to issues causing public suffering, they bring up old political controversies. The same tendency is now evident in the current government and its head,” he said.
Porwar made the remarks at a press conference at the party’s central office in Dhaka’s Moghbazar this evening.
At a “Family Card” distribution programme in Kishoreganj today, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said, “There are many people in the country trying to mislead others and spread rumours. We must remain alert and look at what they have done in the past.”
Referring to Jamaat’s role during the 1971 Liberation War, the prime minister said, “We have seen what their role was in 1971, in 1986 and in 1996. We have also seen their role over the past 17 years. We did not see them on the streets during the people’s movement throughout that period.”
Referring to the remarks, Porwar said the prime minister had recently stirred up unnecessary controversies to divert attention from the severe public suffering in the country.
“Although the government has had sufficient opportunity over the past six months to fulfil its responsibilities, it is trying to blame the opposition for everything to conceal its failures in various areas,” he added.
Porwar said Jamaat has followed a policy of playing a responsible and constructive role as an opposition party in the parliament from the very beginning.
He said opposition lawmakers submitted 10 written recommendations to the parliamentary special committee on May 21 to address the electricity and energy crisis. The energy minister later presented the recommendations in parliament on June 7.
“The main question is not whether there is a plan, but how much of the plan that has been before the government since May 21 has actually been implemented,” Porwar said.
At the press conference, Jamaat proposed six measures to achieve immediate progress within 90 days.
The proposals include carrying out workovers of gas wells that can quickly increase production; publishing a list of closed and low-producing wells; increasing the transportation of gas from Bhola in CNG/LNG form until permanent pipelines are established; publishing weekly progress reports on reducing system loss and disconnecting illegal connections; making public a schedule for gas distribution among the industrial, power, fertiliser and residential sectors; and quickly implementing the SPM and digital monitoring systems.
The party also proposed forming an emergency energy cell to accelerate implementation, clarifying the timeline for the start of power generation at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and its tariff rates, establishing a permanent system for tender evaluation, and appointing a single authority to oversee projects.
While saying that he did not oppose the construction of a new floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), Porwar said it would not be realistic to view the construction of new terminals alone as a solution to the crisis without ensuring the cost of LNG imports, long-term supply contracts and the necessary pipelines.
Jamaat also demanded an emergency special session in the parliament to discuss the energy crisis.
At the press conference, it was said that Jamaat Ameer and Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman sent a letter to the president on August 14 seeking the session, with a copy sent to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Porwar said no response to the demand has been received so far.
He said Jamaat, as a responsible opposition party, would cooperate if the government takes effective, transparent and scientific initiatives, and would seek an account of the progress made after 90 days.
