Dhaka, July 17 Bangladesh is likely to permit construction of a pipeline through the country to supply gas
to West Bengal, media reports said today.
"We are inclined to give approval. We are positively
thinking of approving it in principle," 'the new nation' said
quoting state minister for energy A K M Mosharraf.
A television channel had earlier, in a report quoted the minister as
saying that a private company in Bangladesh had made the
proposal.
Mosharraf had said the company, which he did not name,
had sought approval to build a pipeline from Myanmar to
Kolkata through Bangladesh connecting Tripura.
Meanwhile, an expert committee constituted by the
government examining the pros and cons of the proposal, held a
meeting headed by Mosharraf yesterday, the paper said.
The country would make a huge profit from the project in
which $ US 250 to $ US 260 million would be invested for the
construction of the pipeline, the report said, adding Dhaka
would reap benefits also by leasing out land for the project.
The minister, however, made it clear that the pipeline
would not be related to the export of gas.
He informed that a Bangladesh company in collaboration
with foreign companies will build the Myanmar-Kolkata
pipeline, adding the governments of West Bengal and Tripura
and Myanmar had given approval for the project.
American oil giant Unocal last year made a proposal to
build a pipeline from north eastern Sylhet to New Delhi for
export of gas.
The government has set up two committees to evaluate the
proposal amid angry reactions from left parties and main
opposition Awami League not to export gas.
Bureau Report
