US eyes BD energy ties

Bangladesh and the United States on Tuesday explored ways to deepen
energy cooperation, with Washington expressing interest in expanding investment in the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sectors as the two sides discussed a broader framework for bilateral collaboration.

The issues were discussed during a meeting between Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood and Eric Geelan, Political and Economic Counsellor at the US Embassy in Dhaka, according to a press release issued by the ministry.

Senior officials of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and Joseph Boski, Economic Officer at the US Embassy, also attended the meeting.

The two sides discussed expanding cooperation in the LNG and LPG sectors, increasing the participation of US companies in Bangladesh’s energy market, signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU), and strengthening government-to-government (G2G) cooperation.

They also reviewed priority areas for the proposed MoU and exchanged views on the challenges facing bilateral energy cooperation, possible measures to address them and a roadmap for advancing collaboration while enhancing Bangladesh’s energy security.

The discussions further focused on encouraging greater investment by US companies in Bangladesh’s energy sector and reinforcing G2G engagement, particularly in the context of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to the United States.

During the meeting, the minister requested that discussions with the relevant stakeholders be arranged at the earliest opportunity to expedite the cooperation process.

He also reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to further strengthening energy cooperation with the United States.

Geelan thanked the minister for the meeting and reiterated the US Embassy’s interest in supporting the continued development of Bangladesh’s energy sector.