CA for Energy and Mineral Resources M. Tamim of Bangladesh

Referring to the country's chronic gas crisis that hampers the electricity generation, Dr Tamim said a team is now visiting the gas-based power plants to identify their efficiency level.

Tamim said that it was not possible to ensure energy security without consensus of the political parties.

Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Prof M Tamim has hinted at the possibility of further lowering the fuel oil prices within the current month.

Tamim said the government would review the prices of fuel oils after every three months.

Tamim expressed the hoped that the next elected government will come forward to explore the gas fields to solve the energy crisis as the demand for it mounting steadily.

Tamim said up to 8 tcf of gas might be added to the country's 13.

Tamim said the country's army-backed interim authority -- which would likely stay in office until a promised election is held around the end of this year -- was also making efforts to import gas from neighbouring energy-rich Myanmar.

Tamim said Myanmar had proposed exporting gas to Bangladesh with a condition that a portion of fertilizer produced at the Chittagong port city should be shared with them.

to meet fast-increasing demand of electricity.

Staff Correspondent Bangladesh will have to turn to nuclear-generated power in future to get over energy shortfalls, the chief advisers special assistant M Tamim said Saturday.

Tamim said some 1,000 megawatts would be added to the national grid by yearend, making available a total of 5,000 MW in supply.

As for power crisis in Chittagong, Tamim said many industries in the place had pledged not to run their businesses during evening peak hours so that more gas could be supplied to power plants.

Special assistant to the chief adviser M Tamim chaired the programme moderated by economist Rehman Sobhan and presided over by CPD executive director Mustafizur Rahman.

Tamim said there was shortage of primary energy like gas that had resulted in the shortage of electricity and things could turn acute in the coming days.

Tamim was the chief of the investigation committee on Tengratila fire incidents and he had reported on August, 2005 that only three billion cubic feet gas had been damaged, but the government in June this year field a case claiming compensation for the damage of 54 billion cubic feet of gas.

As Tamim had hidden the information to protect the interest of Niko, the government should file a case against him for the corruption, they said.

price has reduced by 50 percent globally.

Soon after taking charge on January 8, 2008, Tamim had announced that he would try to add at least 1000mw power to the national grid while deals would be signed for another 3000mw during his tenure.

About the offshore bidding, Tamim said the tender was done fully in transparent manner and the proposed deals were better in comparison with any of the previous deals.

Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar on 'Energy Security and Development: Perspective in Bangladesh' organised by Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs and Bangladesh Heritage Founda-tion, Prof Tamim said the review of the draft policy submitted by a working committee to the ministry was almost complete.

We have finalised the coal policy and will place it to the council of advisers for approval very soon,' Chief Adviser's special assistant on energy issues Professor M Tamim has told the FE.

Refuting the law ministry's plea to draft an act instead of a policy to facilitate the process of coal extraction, Professor Tamim said a policy is a broader jurisdiction and deals with a variety of issues like environment, land, mines and minerals.

Regarding the draft of the national coal policy as finalised by the energy ministry, Professor M Tamim said the policy has no major deviations from the recommendations of the advisory committee headed by former BUET vice chancellor Abdul Matin Patwary.

The deals for offshore oil and gas exploration with two international firms await approval of chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, CA's special assistant M Tamim said yesterday.

Tamim said new gas zones would have to be discovered in gas fields as well as production capacity of the fields should be enhanced.