BD, US eye MoU to deepen energy co-op

Bangladesh and the United States have agreed to explore broader cooperation in the energy sector through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to identify priority areas for future collaboration.

The understanding was reached during a meeting between Political and Economic Counsellor at the US Embassy in Dhaka Eric Geelan and Adviser for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hassan Mahmood at the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources on Tuesday.

The two sides agreed to work closely in key areas, particularly liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), to strengthen mutual business cooperation.

According to the Energy Division, both sides discussed in detail potential areas of collaboration and explored the possibility of formalising bilateral cooperation through an MoU, with a shared interest in identifying priority sectors.

The discussions also focused on encouraging greater participation of US businesses in Bangladesh's energy sector and promoting government-to-government cooperation, particularly in the context of the Prime Minister's upcoming visit to the United States.

Both sides candidly discussed existing challenges to bilateral energy cooperation and exchanged views on practical measures and a possible roadmap to address those challenges for mutual benefit and to enhance Bangladesh's energy security, the Energy Division said.

During the meeting, Iqbal Hassan Mahmood requested that further meetings with potential parties be arranged at the earliest opportunity to advance the discussions.

He reaffirmed the Bangladesh government's commitment to strengthening energy partnerships with the United States and welcomed continued engagement on issues of mutual interest.