US investment to be welcomed for development of energy sector: Nasrul Hamid

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said that any investment from the United States for the development of the country’s energy sector will be welcomed.

“Technical cooperation from the USA and sharing of experience will further strengthen the existing good relations between the two nations,” he said, while addressing a virtual meeting with the members of a visiting delegation of the US Business Council at the US-Bangladesh Economic Forum (Building on 50 Years of Friendship) at a hotel in the city on Tuesday.

Jay R. Pryor, vice president of Business Development for Chevron Corporation, led the delegation. 

Senior secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division Mahbub Hossain, power secretary Habibur Rahman, Petrobangla chairman Nazmul Ahsan and Bangladesh Power Development Board chairman  Mahbubur Rahman, US General Electric’s Vice President for South Asia and chief executive Mahesh Palashikar, Exxon Mobil’s market development chief Shahrukh Mirna and Chevron Bangladesh country manager Eric Walker also took part in the meeting.  

Nasrul Hamid said Bangladesh has been putting emphasis on the exploration and production of its own energy resources against the backdrop of the current crisis and continued price hike of energy on the global market.

He also called the middle-level US companies to come forward to explore the oil and gas in Bangladesh alongside the large companies. 

“Bangladesh welcomes the technical friendship of the USA to the exploration of new gas fields, clean and new sources of energy,” he told the US delegation members, adding that both the nations will be benefited from the exchange of technologies besides the offshore, onshore and deep sea exploration.  

He informed the US delegation that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina set a goal in the COP-26 conference to increase renewable energy’s share in electricity generation to 40 percent by 2041. So, Bangladesh’s joint venture with USA may play an important role in flourishing the country’s energy sector.