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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has sought Malaysia’s assistance in addressing Bangladesh’s ongoing gas supply crisis, holding a telephone conversation with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and sending a formal letter requesting support.
The development was disclosed on Tuesday by State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit while speaking to reporters at his office.
The state minister said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman spoke with Anwar Ibrahim at around 2:00pm Bangladesh time on Tuesday. A separate letter requesting assistance was also sent to the Malaysian premier through the Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin.
According to the minister, Anwar Ibrahim assured Tarique Rahman that Malaysia would make a decision on the request as quickly as possible.
He added that the Energy Division, Petrobangla, and RPGCL (Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited) are maintaining continuous communication with US-based Excelerate Energy to help resolve the crisis. Local and international experts are also working on the issue, he said, adding that he had spoken with Aziz Kassim, Vice President of Excelerate Energy.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed the phone conversation in a post on his verified Facebook page.
He said the two leaders discussed strengthening the long-standing friendship between Bangladesh and Malaysia, particularly by expanding cooperation in the energy and investment sectors.
Anwar noted that Bangladesh’s current gas supply shortage featured prominently in the discussion. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman requested Malaysia’s support in addressing the crisis, particularly through the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by Malaysia’s state-owned energy company Petronas to help meet Bangladesh’s urgent energy needs.
The two leaders also discussed expanding bilateral trade and investment. The talks covered the progress of investments by Malaysian telecommunications company Axiata and potential strategic cooperation with MMC Port, with both sides expressing hope that these initiatives would deepen economic ties and create new business opportunities.
Anwar reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening its long-standing relationship with Bangladesh based on mutual respect, practical cooperation and the shared goal of improving the welfare of the people of both countries.
Bangladesh has been facing a severe gas shortage for the past week after a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) developed a technical fault.
The country currently requires around 3,800 million cubic feet of gas per day, but supplies have fallen to about 2,100 million cubic feet daily, affecting industries, commercial establishments and households nationwide.