State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit has expressed optimism regarding Bangladesh’s ability to achieve significant self-sufficiency in the energy sector within the next five years.
The state minister made this statement on Saturday at the inauguration ceremony of the gas supply to the national grid from the newly discovered Srikail-5 appraisal and development well.
The inauguration event was presided over by Petrobangla Chairman Md Ifanul Haque. Also present were Energy and Mineral Resources Division Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam, dignitaries from Muradnagar, senior officials from BAPEX and Petrobangla, and respected representatives of the media.
The state minister expressed heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all the local people for their full cooperation in implementing this project.
The state minister said, “Today is a particularly significant day for us. On this holy day of the blessed month of Ramadan, we have been able to make an important addition to the country’s energy sector.”
He informed that the ongoing instability in the Middle East has put the global energy supply system under challenge. In such a situation, adding new gas from a domestic gas field to the national grid is a very promising and positive news for Bangladesh.
He further informed that due to the relentless efforts of BAPEX’s skilled engineers and officers, it will be possible to supply an average of approximately 8 million cubic feet of gas per day to the national grid from the Srikail-5 well.
Drilling at the Srikail-5 well commenced on 28 September last year and was completed on 1 January 2026. The project cost approximately Tk132 crore to implement. According to concerned sources, the well may contain an estimated 40 billion cubic feet of gas reserves; the recoverable gas reserve is estimated to be 28 billion cubic feet.
The amount of gas expected to be obtained from this gas field over the next approximately 10 years is estimated to be worth around Tk 6,832 crore at current market prices. If this gas had to be imported, it would have put significant pressure on the country’s foreign currency reserves.
Aninda Islam Amit further said, “According to the government’s future plans, we have set a target of supplying 82 million cubic feet of gas to the national grid. This is not a fanciful plan; rather, it is a realistic action plan. Through the intellect and hard work of BAPEX’s skilled officers and employees, we will definitely be able to achieve this target, Insha’Allah.”
He especially thanked the people of the Mukhlespur and Muradnagar areas, as implementing this project would not have been possible without their cooperation.
Addressing the media, the state minister said, “The current government is working towards making the import-dependent energy sector self-sufficient based on domestic resources, step by step. By properly utilising the natural resources that the Almighty Creator has given us beneath the soil of our country, through the intellect, skill, and capability of our own engineers, officers, and employees, we want to achieve self-sufficiency in the energy sector. According to our plan, we are working with the goal of supplying a significant portion of the country’s gas demand from domestic production within the next five years.”
He sought cooperation from all sections of the country, including the media, to achieve this goal.
The state minister assured everyone that this government is elected by the people’s votes. Therefore, transparency and accountability will be present in all its actions. He wants the people of the country to clearly understand how their resources are being extracted and how they are being used for the country’s development.
Expressing sincere gratitude to BAPEX’s officers and employees, he said that BAPEX has established itself as a skilled and capable organization among various institutions in Bangladesh. Efforts will be made to find prompt and reasonable solutions to the problems that BAPEX’s officers and employees have been facing for a long time.
