Pvt sector urged to explore gas, oil

Tawfiqu-e-Elahi Chowdhury, adviser to the prime minister, on Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs, has called upon the private sector businessmen to get involved in exploring gas and oil. Different private organisations can engage in exploring gas and oil, as still there is no such initiative, he said while attending a seminar titled “New investment horizon: blue economy” as the chief guest. The seminar was held in the capital yesterday organised by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI). U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat, attended the programme as a special guest. Tawfiqu-e-Elahi Chowdhury also encouraged businessmen to facilitate gas import from Myanmar. He advised the private sector to take initiative to explore gas from deep sea. “We want to address risk factor of blue economy so that investors can explore gas and oil at lower risk.” The government has enough resources to promote blue economy, he said. In her address, the U.S. ambassador said sustainable development of ocean resources is key to ensuring that no person, no country, is left behind. “We cannot claim success in achieving these development outcomes if any part of society is excluded from it.” Expressing concern, Bernicat said: “Our oceans are at risk now from overfishing, from marine pollution and from global climate change.  Overcoming those challenges and sustainably developing marine resources are key to global economic growth going forward.” Admiring the steps Bangladesh has taken to overcome the challenges she said the country is taking steps to ensure the hilsa – the iconic national fish of Bangladesh – is protected as it moves through inland waterways during its spawning season – when the fish population is most vulnerable to overfishing. Addressing the seminar, DCCI president Hossain Khaled urged the government to emphasise building substantial marine science and technological capacity to catch up emerging opportunities of blue economy. Kawser Ahmed, chairman of the Department of Oceanography, Dhaka University, presented his keynote paper focusing on how the U.S. economy was blessed by the blue economy. He said over 50% of the U.S. population live within 50 miles of the coast. In his keynote address, Kawser said American maritime transport carries 95% of the nation’s foreign trade. Ships move 2 billion tonnes of freight in and out of U.S. ports. Coastal and marine waters support more than 28 million jobs. Coastal areas are also tourist destinations for 189 million Americans annually.