Gas Crisis Demands A Coherent Strategy

Without decisive reforms and a credible exploration strategy, the country risks sliding into a prolonged era of structural energy insecurity.

- Khondkar Abdus Saleque

Bangladesh's gas sector is once again at a crossroads. After decades of under-exploration, mismanagement, and missed opportunities, the country now faces a crisis that can no longer be dismissed as temporary or cyclical. With production declining and demand climbing, the question is no longer whether Bangladesh has a gas problem, but whether its institutions are capable of solving it.

Despite sitting atop one of the least explored deltas in the world, Bangladesh has failed to assess its true resource potential. Offshore prospects remain virtually untouched, onshore structures only partially explored, and several discovered fields still underdeveloped. Meanwhile, proven reserves are expected to run out by 2030, and LNG imports, costly and constrained by infrastructure, cannot fill the gap for long.

Without decisive reforms and a credible exploration strategy, the country risks sliding into a prolonged era of structural energy insecurity.

It goes without saying that the longstanding crisis in the gas supply chain is rooted in Petrobangla's chronic lack of institutional competence. Bangladesh remains one of the least explored riverine deltas in the world. While the country is certainly not "floating on petroleum," it is equally unscientific, and irresponsible, to conclude that the country no longer possesses significant untapped energy resources. Onshore prospects remain only partially explored, offshore areas are virtually untouched, and even many discovered fields have not been fully developed.