Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President Md Jashim Uddin has urged the government to prepare a roadmap to ensure energy security for industries.
The apex trade body's president made the call at the second meeting of the FBCCI's Standing Committee on Power, Energy and Utilities held on Monday virtually, according to a statement.
The FBCCI chief also said the industrialists are facing uncertainty as to whether gas and electricity will be available at the time of setting up the new factory, where the gas will be available if it is set up, and what the prices will be in the future.
"A roadmap on energy will remove these uncertainties," he noted.
The meeting was chaired by Humayun Rashid, Chairman of the Standing Committee and managing director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO) of EnergyPac Power Genera-tion Limited.
He said that the use of domestic resources has to be increased to ensure energy security in the country in the long run.
Citing the example of Sri Lanka, Mr Rashid said that the energy crisis worsens the country's suffering.
Mentioning that there is a plan to increase the price of electricity, he said it would further increase the prices of commodities of daily necessities.
Abul Kasem Khan, director-in-charge of the Standing Committee and director of the FBCCI, said Russia-Ukraine war fueled up the energy challenges. "Therefore, most countries are now thinking of revamping the renewable energy roadmap."
Mr Khan feels that Bangladesh should also think about the sourcing of oil and gas.
He called for strengthening BAPEX (Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited) in the forthcoming budget to increase exploration and extraction of the country's minerals.
Mollah M Amzad Hossain, editor of the Energy and Power magazine, said that the ratio of imported LNG to local gas will be equal by 2025. Then the price of gas will increase further.
He also emphasised on the extraction of domestic oil and gas to ensure energy security in the country.
Co-Chairman of the Committee Md Salauddin Yusuf, members of the Committee Mahfuzul Hoque Shah, Ahmed Jamal, Kazi Aminul Haque, Nazmul Haque, Shahid Alam, Data Magfur and Secretary of the FBCCI Mohammad Mahfuzal Hoque also took part at the meeting.
