The Chief Whip of the National Parliament, Md. Nurul Islam, has claimed that during the tenure of the previous Awami League government, control of 98 percent of the country’s gas was handed over to a specific nation. However, Petrobangla, the state-owned enterprise, has stated that it possesses no information or records supporting this assertion.
The Chief Whip made the statement on Saturday (15 August) while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion organized by the Jatiyatabadi Sangskritik Dal at the National Press Club in the capital, marking the July Mass Uprising.
He asserted that under the previous regime, 98 percent of Bangladesh’s gas resources were placed under the control of a particular foreign country. He further blamed this decision and widespread mismanagment in the energy sector for the ongoing national gas crisis.
However, on Monday (17 August), Petrobangla refuted the Chief Whip’s statement, confirming that his claim regarding 98 percent of the country’s gas being handed over to a foreign nation was incorrect.
When contacted regarding the matter, Petrobangla’s Director of Operations, Md. Shoaib, told Live24.com: “Petrobangla holds no records or information relating to such a claim.”
Consequently, the source and basis for the Chief Whip’s statement regarding the 98 percent gas control remain unclear.
In Bangladesh’s energy sector, domestic natural gas production has been steadily declining over a prolonged period, leading to an increased reliance on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. According to Petrobangla data, the depletion of output from older gas fields has created a significant supply shortfall.
Energy experts point to declining domestic production, sluggish exploration of new gas fields, and over-reliance on imports as the primary causes of the current gas crunch. Data available up to June 2025 indicates that daily gas production has consistently dropped over the past decade, exacerbating the current deficit.
However, no direct connection exists between these operational realities and the assertion that 98 percent of the gas sector was handed over to a single foreign state. Although the Chief Whip did not explicitly name any country in his speech, widespread criticism on social media speculated the “special country” in question to be India.
Petrobangla maintained that it has no record of any agreement or arrangement yielding control of 98 percent of the nation’s gas to any foreign power.
Thus, while political rhetoric continues to hold the previous government’s energy policy accountable for the supply crisis, Petrobangla’s data offers no factual support for the specific claim that 98 percent of the country’s gas was handed over to a foreign nation.
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