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Bangladesh can no longer afford to treat energy security as a narrow domestic issue. The latest disruption in the global energy market, amid war and instability in the Middle East, has exposed once again how vulnerable the country is to external shocks. For an economy increasingly dependent on imported fuel and liquefied natural gas (LNG), energy security must now become a central part of Bangladesh’s foreign and economic policy. This is where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) deserves much greater attention.
Bangladesh has traditionally focused its economic and energy diplomacy on a relatively limited group of partners. Yet the country’s growing energy needs, declining domestic gas production and rising import dependence demand a broader strategy. ASEAN, with its geographically close energy producers, major trading hubs and rapidly growing economies, could become an important pillar of that strategy.
The warning from energy expert Professor Dr Ijaz Hossain is particularly significant. Bangladesh is already importing around 30 per cent of its gas requirement in the form of LNG, while total energy import dependence, including gas and coal, is estimated at around 60 per cent. If domestic exploration does not improve, that dependence could rise dramatically in the coming years. That is not simply an energy problem. It is an economic vulnerability.
Every increase in the international price of crude oil, LNG or refined petroleum puts pressure on Bangladesh’s foreign-exchange reserves, the exchange rate, transport costs, electricity prices and industrial production. The recent difficulties faced by textile mills are a reminder of how directly energy shortages affect export-oriented industries. The primary textile sector, worth nearly $25 billion, has already been struggling with inadequate gas supplies.
Bangladesh therefore needs to think beyond emergency fuel procurement. It needs a long-term energy diplomacy.
ASEAN offers several possibilities. Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are important players in the regional petroleum trade, while Brunei is a significant oil and gas producer. Bangladesh has already urged some ASEAN countries to increase petroleum-product supplies during the current crisis. But buying fuel during a crisis should only be the beginning.
Bangladesh should seek long-term supply arrangements, joint investment, energy infrastructure partnerships and technology cooperation. It should explore opportunities in LNG, petroleum storage, renewable energy, energy efficiency and offshore exploration. The objective should be to create multiple and reliable sources of energy rather than repeatedly searching for emergency supplies whenever international markets become unstable.
Myanmar presents a particularly complicated but potentially important opportunity. Bangladesh has already expressed interest in importing natural gas from Myanmar through a pipeline and reviving discussions on a possible pipeline connecting Myanmar with Chattogram. The Myanmar side has also indicated that LNG supplies could be discussed.
The proposal is strategically attractive because of geographical proximity. But it cannot be pursued without carefully examining security, political and commercial risks. Myanmar’s internal conflict, declining gas production and instability make any major long-term infrastructure project difficult. Reports cited in the draft indicate that Myanmar’s gas exports to Thailand declined substantially in 2025 amid declining reserves and lower investment.
That means Bangladesh should keep the Myanmar option open, but it should not make the mistake of becoming dependent on another single source. The bigger opportunity is to develop a regional energy network involving several partners.
Bangladesh should also bring together energy experts, geologists, academics, business leaders and policymakers to prepare a coherent short-, medium- and long-term energy strategy. Professor Ijaz Hossain’s proposal for regular consultation among universities, industry and policymakers deserves serious consideration.
Domestic exploration must remain at the heart of that strategy. Bangladesh cannot solve an energy-security problem simply by importing more energy. Gas exploration has reportedly remained inadequate for years, even as consumption has increased. Greater investment in exploration, renewable energy, energy efficiency and modern infrastructure is essential.
There is another dimension that Bangladesh should not overlook: trade. Despite its geographical proximity, Bangladesh’s exports to ASEAN remain remarkably small. The draft puts Bangladesh’s exports to ASEAN at only around 1-2 per cent of total exports, while ASEAN countries account for a much larger share of Bangladesh’s imports.
This imbalance tells us something important. Bangladesh has been looking at ASEAN largely as a source of imports rather than as a strategic economic partner.
Bangladesh should pursue deeper trade engagement with ASEAN alongside energy cooperation, including negotiations on preferential trade arrangements or a free trade agreement. Greater market access could help diversify exports beyond the traditional markets of the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and Australia.
Energy diplomacy and trade diplomacy should therefore move together. The current global energy crisis may be a threat, but it is also an opportunity to rethink Bangladesh’s external economic strategy. ASEAN is geographically close, economically dynamic and strategically important. Bangladesh should not wait for another global crisis before discovering its importance.
The country needs an ASEAN strategy that connects energy, trade, investment, infrastructure and technology.
The immediate priority may be securing fuel. The real objective, however, should be building an energy-secure Bangladesh that is less exposed to shocks beyond its control. That requires looking south-east, not only west and east.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Sarabangla English Edition’s editorial stance.