Bangladesh and Nepal today agreed to advance the relations in the areas of hydropower, climate change, as well as promoting regional cooperation. Both sides stressed to work together to address challenges to be faced after graduating from LDC status and further consolidating the existing relations.

“Nepal has the potentials of producing 100,00MW of hydroelectricity. We have signed a deal to import 40MW of hydropower and now negotiating on tariffs,” Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told journalists after a meeting with Nepalese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ghanshyam Bhandari at the foreign ministry today.

He said Bangladesh wants to import more hydropower from Nepal, as well as the country’s businesses want to invest in energy sector, he added.

Nepalese Ambassador Bhandari termed the relationship between Bangladesh and Nepal as trouble-free and appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for achieving socio-economic advancement in the last fifteen years.

He also briefed Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud about the activities undertaken by the Nepalese embassy here to strengthen and deepen the relationship.

Bhandari mentioned that the excellent relations at the political and people-to-people levels further may be strengthened in the areas of trade, connectivity, energy, tourism and education, among others.

Residents in Narayanganj are grappling with increased hardships due to acute shortage in gas supply.

Due to a lack of gas supply through pipelines, residential consumers are being compelled to resort to using LPG cylinders and electric stoves. Capitalising on the situation, businessmen are raising prices of gas cylinders and electric stoves.

Locals said the price of a 12-kg gas cylinder of an unidentified company has surged to Tk 1,500. Local shopkeepers are charging up to Tk 1,550 for cylinders from reputable companies, they alleged. Ameena Begum, a resident of Choudhury Bari in the port area, said , “Due to the unavailability of gas, I am now using an electric stove.”

This shift has resulted in an additional burden for households, as the monthly electricity bills for electric stoves range from Tk 1,200 to Tk 1,500, said some locals.

Maksuda Begum, a housewife in the Masdair area, said, “Despite having gas, I resort to electric stoves because they are more reliable.”

The gas crisis is not limited to Narayanganj Sadar; various areas including Paikpara, Baburail, Deobhog, Nimtala, Nitai Gonj, Tamakpatti, Amlapara, and Kaliar Bazar, are experiencing gas crisis.

Residents from these areas are contacting the gas company’s complaint centre and expressing their frustration over the situation.

The struggle of residents is especially intense in areas like Kashipur, Masdair, and Baraibhoga.

A local organisation, “We, the Residents of Narayanganj” has initiated efforts and submitted a memorandum to the regional office of Titas Gas.

The organisation’s president, Noor Uddin Ahmed, emphasised the need to end the malpractices of Titas Gas employees, which, according to him, are the root cause of the ongoing gas crisis.

Source: The Daily Star