A claim by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman stating that not a single gas well was drilled in Bangladesh during the 17-year tenure of the Awami League government is incorrect, according to two independent fact-checking organisations.
The fact-checking entities, Fact Detector Bangladesh and The Descent, separately verified the statement and classified the claim as false and misleading.
Speaking at a recent public event, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman alleged that virtually no initiatives were undertaken for gas exploration or well drilling throughout the Awami League’s long period in office. Following his statement, the two fact-checkers published reports based on official energy sector data.
Findings by Fact Detector Bangladesh
According to the verification report by Fact Detector Bangladesh, a total of 155 gas wells were drilled across the country under the Awami League administration between 2009 and July 2024. During this same timeframe, six new gas fields were discovered.
The organisation compared various key metrics of the energy sector between 2009 and 2024:
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Gas Fields: The total number of gas fields in the country grew from 20 in 2009 to 29 by 2024.
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Infrastructure & Capacity: Significant changes were recorded in gas supply volume, gas transmission pipeline infrastructure, and overall national exploration and drilling capabilities.
Based on these figures, Fact Detector Bangladesh noted that there is no basis to claim that zero gas wells were drilled during the Awami League’s term, concluding that the Prime Minister’s assertion was false and misleading.
Findings by The Descent
In a separate investigation, The Descent arrived at identical conclusions regarding the Prime Minister’s statement.
The Descent reported that 155 gas wells were drilled and six new gas fields were discovered from 2009 up to July 2024. Consequently, the claim that “not a single gas well was drilled in 17 years” contradicts established factual data. The organisation similarly rated the statement as false and misleading.
What the Verified Data Shows
Both independent fact-checking organisations corroborated the same official figures: gas exploration and well drilling took place between 2009 and July 2024, alongside the discovery of new gas fields.
The fact-checkers emphasized that verifying this claim is not an endorsement or assessment of the Awami League’s overall success or failure regarding its broader energy policy. Instead, the verification focused strictly on the factual accuracy of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s specific claim that “not a single well was drilled in 17 years.”
Given the documented statistics of 155 drilled wells and six new gas discoveries during that period, the assertion remains factually inaccurate.
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