Prime Minister Tarique Rahman apologised for the hardship caused by power and gas shortages across Bangladesh, saying the government was working quickly to resolve the crisis. Speaking on Saturday at a prayer and cheque-distribution event in Mohakhali’s T&T field in the capital, he said gas problems were expected to ease substantially within the next few days. The programme marked the 82nd birth anniversary of late BNP chairperson and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

Rahman said people in rural areas, towns and upazila and district centres had faced recent electricity and gas disruptions. He said the previous government had left nearly Tk 3 lakh crore in liabilities in the power sector. He also alleged that no gas well had been drilled, or allowed to be drilled, over the past 17 years, while the sector had been handed to foreign interests.

The prime minister said the government had decided to rapidly drill gas wells domestically through state-owned Bapex. He said an accident involving one of two gas-import vessels had caused the current problem, while technical faults had already been repaired. Rahman also announced that a 10-year energy plan would be presented in the parliamentary session due to begin on August 27.