National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas, Power-Port and Mineral Resources in a statement on Thursday urged the government not to sign any deal with the US-based International Oil Company ConocoPhillips to award a gas block in the Bay. In the joint statement, Committee convenor Engr Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah and member secretary Prof Anu Mohammad said that signing of any deal with any foreign company is beyond the jurisdiction of an election-time government. Referring to a press report that the government is going to sign agreement with ConocoPhillips on December 2, the two leaders said the foreign company is being given so many facilities through the proposed deal that the people of Bangladesh would not be able to use their own gas. They said gas purchase price has been raised by 60-70 percent from the earlier price in the amended production sharing contract (PSC) in order to increase the profit of the IOC. The profit sharing ratio of the IOC after return of investment has also been raised to 70 percent from 55 percent. The company is also allowed to sell its gas to a third party. “If such a model PSC is signed, the gas resources of the Bay of Bengal will not only go to the hands of IOC, it would make it impossible to use the country’s gas resource for power generation and industrial production,” said the statement. “So, we urge the government not to sign any such deal beyond its normal rules of business,” it mentioned. – UNB
