To streamline fuel transportation in the southern and south-eastern Bay of Bengal, an operator contract was awarded for the Single Point Mooring (SPM) project. This SPM project was a highly anticipated initiative since the Pakistani era—one that no government took action on in 65 years across both the Pakistani and Bangladeshi regimes until Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Hasina completed the construction of this project at a cost of nearly 8,500 crore BDT.

The core of the project addresses a major logistical challenge: ships with a capacity exceeding 15,000 to 20,000 tons cannot enter the Karnaphuli River. Consequently, oil brought by 100,000 to 200,000-ton vessels had to be lightered onto smaller vessels from the deep sea to reach the Eastern Refinery. This process was expensive and took 15 to 20 days, incurring monthly losses of around 25 to 30 crore BDT due to lighterage fees, master vessel holding charges, and oil wastage.

To alter this situation, submarine pipelines were laid from the outer anchorage, and onshore storage tanks and a terminal with a capacity of nearly 300,000 tons were established at Moheshkhali. Through this pipeline, refined and crude oil can be offloaded to Eastern Refinery and the new storage tanks within 2 to 3 days. Once fully operational, citizens would benefit from lower fuel prices.

On the other hand, fuel remains extremely expensive in the north-western region due to transportation overheads, as carrying fuel hundreds of kilometers from the eastern and southern zones is highly costly. To uplift the socio-economic condition of the people in the historically neglected northern region, affordable fuel was essential. Therefore, a pipeline was established from India to import liquid fuel directly.

Similarly, to foster development in that region, arrangements were made to import nearly 2,650 MW of electricity at affordable rates from India and Nepal. The average cost per unit of this imported power is approximately 11.72 BDT, compared to the domestic production average of roughly 11.85 BDT per unit. Furthermore, to address long-term power demands and promote industrialization in the north-west, a 2,400 MW nuclear power plant was set up at Rooppur in Pabna. Sites and infrastructure have also been allocated for two additional nuclear units, which will halve the construction cost of subsequent phases—making it a unique institution for the nation.

Without connecting all strata of society to development and improving living standards universally, rapid transformation into a developed nation remains impossible.

Unfortunately, after assuming power, Dr. Yunus canceled the contracts for the two new FSRUs without adequate foresight regarding fuel supply. Similarly, the contract for a land-based LNG terminal and reservoir with a capacity of 1,000 MMCFD—set to begin construction in November–December 2024 as a joint venture between the Sheikh Hasina government, Japanese firms, and Bangladeshi private entities—was also scrapped. Had these not been canceled, the current gas and power crisis would not have emerged. It is now reported that the same gas is being purchased at double the price.

Dr. Yunus also canceled the foreign contractor engagement for managing the SPM terminal. As a result, it has remained non-functional for over two years, causing severe national losses. Reports suggest that despite offering double the rate now, no foreign firm has applied. Due to the lack of foresight, immaturity, and ill-timed decisions of Dr. Yunus and Mr. Tarique, the country has fallen into a severe disaster. The current administration speaks of permanently solving the power crisis through solar and wind energy. This resembles telling a child a fairytale about "making someone a king." The primary challenge with solar power is obvious: where will people get electricity when the sun isn't shining? Even advanced nations like Japan, equipped with superior technology and financial capacity, rely on alternative solar and wind power for only 11% of their total generation. Worldwide, solar energy is utilized primarily as a supplementary or backup source.

The outgoing Sheikh Hasina government had approved, allocated land, and issued work orders to foreign companies for 29 projects aimed at achieving a 10% solar and wind power share—all of which were canceled by Dr. Yunus.

Those whose culture revolves around shifting blame onto the past and onto others are fit for destruction, not creation. Claims that the previous government drilled no new gas wells are completely false and deliberately crafted to mislead the public.

In reality, extensive exploration took place. Drilling a well without assessing gas potential is a waste of money, as each well costs between 100 to 150 crore BDT. Therefore, initial assessments—including seismic surveys—are conducted to confirm gas prospects before drilling begins. Even then, promising gas discoveries are not guaranteed, requiring exploration to proceed with calculated financial caution.

If the Awami League had not engaged in domestic gas exploration and extraction, how did production rise from 1,100 MMCFD to 2,600 MMCFD? Exploration plans were also drafted for the Chittagong Hill Tracts. While no historical data suggested gas reserves in that terrain, surveys consistently confirmed bright prospects primarily in the north-eastern region.

The facts regarding offshore gas exploration must also be clarified. Maritime boundary disputes had persisted since the partition of India. Mr. Radcliffe, tasked with border demarcation, finalized 95% of the land boundary but departed without addressing the maritime boundary.

Thereafter, across 25 years under Pakistan and nearly 40 years in Bangladesh prior to Sheikh Hasina taking office—a total of 65 years—no government took initiative to resolve maritime disputes with India and Myanmar.

Upon assuming power in 1996, Sheikh Hasina assigned the Bangladesh Navy to gather data. The Navy acquired several frigates from South Korea for this purpose and gathered extensive data. However, after the Awami League stepped down in 2001, that work came to a halt. Taking office again in 2009, the government prioritized the issue, collected comprehensive data, and filed two separate cases at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in The Hague, Netherlands, against India and Myanmar.

Following extensive court hearings and diplomatic negotiations, Bangladesh secured nearly 111,588 square kilometers of maritime territory from Myanmar. Out of the 25,000 square kilometers of disputed area with India, Bangladesh was awarded roughly 19,400 square kilometers, while India received 5,600 square kilometers.

Thanks to Sheikh Hasina's visionary diplomatic acumen, both neighboring nations accepted the verdict. The question arises: UNCLOS was adopted under the United Nations in 1982. The Jatiya Party governed for 9 years and the BNP for 10 years thereafter—why did neither take any steps regarding this?

The question remains for the present administration: during your previous 10 years in power (1991–1996 and 2001–2006), what specific measures did you take for power and energy? To the public's knowledge, apart from inaugurating the three small power plants in Tongi, Ashulia, and Bhairab initiated during Sheikh Hasina's 1996–2001 tenure, was anything else accomplished?

At present, despite minor fuel strains caused by the Iran and Ukraine conflicts, countries like India, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, and China face no disruptions in uninterrupted power and gas supplies. Nowhere else are residential power supplies cut or industrial factories shut down on such a scale.

Unfortunately, this crisis was triggered primarily by the cancellation of the two FSRU work orders under Dr. Yunus's administration. Integrating new FSRUs at far higher costs will now require at least two more years. Daily gas shortages are forcing power plants and industrial units to close, sending the economy into a severe tailspin and causing widespread job losses.

In contrast, the Awami League administration established nearly 30,000 MW of power generation capacity and secured the necessary fuel pipelines. Had these assets been managed properly instead of suffering hasty cancellations, no power or gas crisis would exist today.

Objectively speaking, the current administration's lack of foresight in governance has spawned this severe energy crisis. This destruction is not limited to power and gas; other sectors are also teetering on the brink of collapse. Energy shortages are immediately visible, whereas the destruction of other sectors remains less obvious to the eye.

Therefore, allow newspapers to write freely and permit people to speak on television. Only then can the true state of the country be understood, yielding constructive advice to aid sound decision-making in governance.

Using the judiciary like a party office and employing the police and administration as party cadres will bring destruction upon the country and the administration alike.

Proper governance is indispensable to solving these challenges. Please focus on effective governance; if things continue on this trajectory, this beautiful nation will inevitably face ruin.

Author: Oshru Hashi, Politician, Columnist, and Political Analyst