Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood meets Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh UKyaw Soe Moe at the Secretariat today. Photo: Collected
Bangladesh has expressed interest in importing natural gas from Myanmar through a cross-border pipeline to help meet its growing domestic energy demand.
Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood conveyed the interest during a meeting with Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh UKyaw Soe Moe at the Secretariat in the capital today (2 August).During the meeting, the minister said strengthening energy cooperation with neighbouring countries remains a priority under the government’s “Neighbours First” foreign policy.
The Myanmar ambassador welcomed the proposal and suggested exploring LNG supplies alongside the pipeline option, a suggestion the minister welcomed.The discussion revived a long-standing proposal to build a gas pipeline from Myanmar to Chattogram to supply energy to industrial areas in southeastern Bangladesh.
To advance the proposal, Mahmood suggested holding ministerial-level discussions and said he would invite Myanmar’s energy minister to Dhaka. He also expressed his willingness to visit Myanmar if necessary.The minister also referred to broader regional connectivity initiatives, including the proposed China-Myanmar-Bangladesh economic corridor, during discussions of energy cooperation.He said a cross-border gas pipeline could complement regional infrastructure development and strengthen long-term trade ties between the two countries.
The Myanmar ambassador suggested holding a meeting of the Bangladesh-Myanmar Joint Technical Committee to assess the feasibility of the proposal.State Minister Aninda Islam Amit, Energy Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam, among others, were also present at the meeting.
The initiative comes as Bangladesh looks for additional sources of gas amid ongoing supply challenges. On 28 July, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed his country’s willingness to explore supplying LNG to Bangladesh during a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
