The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has proposed major regulatory changes to speed up domestic gas exploration and production, aiming to reduce Bangladesh’s growing reliance on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG).
In separate letters to the Planning Ministry, Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood sought exemptions from mandatory third-party feasibility studies for selected gas projects and proposed allowing self-financed exploration projects to be approved by the Energy Ministry instead of the Planning Commission and ECNEC.
The ministry plans to drill 117 wells under 27 projects over the next five years, targeting an additional 1,535 MMCFD of gas supply by 2031.
It argues that faster approvals would accelerate implementation, lower dependence on LNG imports and save valuable foreign exchange.
Energy experts welcomed the renewed emphasis on domestic gas exploration but stressed that technical and economic oversight should remain in place to ensure transparency and cost-effectiveness.
