29-08-01 Bangladesh politicians rejected the World Bank's suggestion that it export natural gas to India to reduce its trade gap. "We will consider export of natural gas only after keeping a reserve that could fulfil the domestic demand for 50 years," former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told members of her Awami League party in Dhaka.
A series of Bangladesh governments have stuck to that policy, refusing to begin exports of what some experts believe is a huge resource of natural gas, until the nation's future needs are assured. "There will be no export of gas before an assessment of the reserve is made," Mujahidul Islam Selim, a leader of Communist Party of Bangladesh, said.

Bangladesh is in the midst of a campaign for Oct. 1 parliament elections and is being administered by a caretaker government since Hasina handed over power on July 15 after becoming the country's leader to complete a five-year term. World Bank Country Director Frederick Temple had suggested that Bangladesh consider exporting gas to India to cut the trade gap.
In 1999, India exported to Bangladesh $ 3 bn worth of goods worth, while importing $ 336 mm worth from Bangladesh. "Bangladesh would be better off pursuing bilateral and multilateral dialogue and examining options like export gas to India rather than halting its broader liberalization," Temple told a meeting of the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Dhaka.

Bangladesh has proven natural gas reserves of up to 15 tcf (428 bn cm). American oil companies have invested more than $ 700 mm in Bangladesh to produce and prospect for gas. Bangladesh fears that export could lead to fast depletion of its reserve and leave the poor nation without gas, used for cooking, electricity and making fertilizer.