Qatar has agreed to increase its supply of LNG (liquefied natural gas) by another 2 million tons per year in a long-term deal. The Division of Energy and Mineral Resources has confirmed the preparations for the signing of a formal agreement between Dhaka and Doha on June 1 in Qatar.

Qatar has been supplying 2.5 million tons of LNG per year under the previous agreement. If the new LNG is added, the quantity will stand at 3.5 million tons. But this gas is not coming to Bangladesh now. It will gradually increase from 2025 onwards. Sources from the Division of Energy and Mineral Resources will come to full capacity from 2027.

On June 1, a high-level team led by Minister of State for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid left for Qatar to sign the agreement. Secretary of Energy and Mineral Resources Division Md. Khaeruzzaman Majumdar is with the State Minister in the team along with Chairman of Petrobangla Janendra Nath Sarkar and Deputy General Manager (LNG) Engineer Abdul Mukit of Transforming Natural Gas Company Limited.

The practice of hiding the price of LNG is noticeable at all times. As usual this time too, none of the officers agreed to open their mouths. However, an official of Petrobangla said that compared to the previous contract, this time the price is slightly lower. But other conditions may be a bit uncomfortable for Bangladesh. He could not give an idea about the conditions.

Recently, before the Prime Minister's visit to Qatar, Minister of State for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said that there is a difference of opinion regarding some conditions for importing LNG from Qatar. Earlier in the agreement, if Qatar could not provide the supply, Qatar would pay Bangladesh the additional price it would cost to buy a cargo of LNG in the sport market at that time. In the new contract, this condition has been lifted and proposed to be 15 percent. That is, if the price is high in the open market, if they sell, Bangladesh will suffer. We have asked for a review of that condition.

According to Petrobangla sources, the existing agreement with Qatar states that the supply will not be below 1.8 million tons per year, and will not go above 2.5 million tons. 2.5 million tons are being imported from Qatar and 1 million tons from Oman under long-term contracts. Besides Qatar, the two countries also agreed to increase the import of LNG by 1 million tons from Oman.

Our two FSRUs have a daily supply capacity of 1,000 million cubic feet, RPGCL sources said. A maximum of 95 percent can be used on average. That is, Bangladesh has the capacity to import up to 6 million tons per year. In addition, discussions with the Summit Group are continuing for the establishment of another FSRU. The third FSRU will have a daily import capacity of 1500 million. Discussions on the fourth FSRU are ongoing. An LNG terminal is also under construction. It will have a capacity of 1 thousand mmcfd.

The government had been importing LNG from the open market as well as long-term contracts. But due to the war in Ukraine, the price of LNG in the open market has gone up a lot. For the first time, LNG was bought from the open market for less than $4 per unit. The same amount of LNG had to be paid up to 37 dollars. Currently it is trading around $14.

By reducing the temperature of natural gas to minus 160 degrees Celsius through cooling technology, the gas becomes a liquid. This liquefied natural gas is called LNG. When natural gas is liquefied at normal atmospheric pressure, its volume is reduced by about 600 times. That is, 600 liters of gas can be converted into LNG and filled in a small bottle of only one liter. LNG is made for ease of transportation. After being brought to Bangladesh, it is regasified and supplied to the line.

Journalist leaders and teachers have complained that journalists are being repeatedly attacked with the help of the Chittagong University (CU) administration. They said, "The officials of the administration are rather happy to beat up the journalists." Because journalists are highlighting various corruption and irregularities in the administration. That may be why the attackers are treated humanely instead of facing punishment.

The speakers of the human chain organized by Chittagong University Journalists' Association (CUSS) and Chittagong University  ex-Journalists Network (CUGN) to protest the torture of journalists said these things.

 The human chain was organized in front of the administrative building of the university at 11:30 on Tuesday (September 26).

Chattogram Journalist Union President Tapan Chakraborty, General Secretary Md. Shamsul Islam, Chattogram University Communication and Journalism Alumni Association President Shimul Nazrul, CUJN President Hamid Ullah and others.

The dean of the Faculty of Sociology of the University, Siraj Ud Daullah, the teacher of the Communication Journalism Department of Chittagong University spoke in solidarity with the human bond. Ali Azgar Chowdhury, Khandkar Ali and Raji and Shahab Uddin.

President of CUJN Hamid Ullah said, "The character of none of the BCL has changed since the camp. Today, those who are carrying out various anarchy in the name of Chhatra League, it will be seen from the news that they were followers of some other party earlier. Journalists are being attacked because they are writing about injustices and irregularities. We don't want to stand in such protest anymore. In the future, we will stand in front of the houses of the administration officials.

Sabur Shubo, general secretary of CUJN said, "Instead of bringing the attackers to justice, the university has received humane treatment from the authorities." Remember, as we know how to write, we also know how to protest.

Professor of mass communication and journalism department Ali Azgar Chowdhury said, "The attack on Musharraf was completely planned. The attackers were punished as show. If you fail to punish, we will assume you are patronizing them. We have even seen those who attacked journalists get an opportunity to take the exam despite being expelled. It is not possible without the help of the administration.

Professor Siraj Ud Daullah, dean of the Faculty of Sociology, said, "Journalists had to stand in human chain to demand justice." It is embarrassing for the university or the state. We hope that the attack on Musharraf Shah will not be repeated. Besides, I am in complete solidarity with the demands of the journalists from the human chain. I call on the administration to implement it in action, not just in words.

General Secretary of Chattogram Journalist Union Shamsul Islam said, "Today, our colleague Musharraf is laying on the hospital bed after being attacked by the Chhatra League which we never expected. Today the expelled, non-students are staying in the hall. This makes your failure clear. Expel those who attacked Musharraf from the campus. If you can't, then leave the administration chair.

Chattogram Journalist Union President Tapan Chakraborty said to the Chhatra League, "You fight yourselves, vandalize the vice-chancellor's residence, then you also attack journalists." I want to say to the vice chancellor, why are you indulging them? We have come to know that various irregularities are taking place here under your umbrella including recruitment trade, extortion. If action is not taken against those involved in this incident within 24 hours, we will go to the honorable Prime Minister if necessary.

CUSS president Mahbub A Rahman said in the closing speech, "Those who shed the blood of Musharraf Shah, they shed the blood of all the journalists of the country." Journalists act as representatives of students. If journalists are not safe today, how safe are the students here?

Election Commissioner Md. Alamgir said that observers from SAARC countries will be invited to observe the upcoming national elections.

He said this while talking to reporters on Tuesday (September 26).

EC Alamgir said that if the 12th National Assembly elections are not held by January 29, 2024, a constitutional vacuum will be created. Although the European Union (EU) did not send a full team to that election, many other countries did.

SAARC countries (Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) will be invited by the Election Commission. He said that a letter will be sent inviting them next month.

At this time, in response to another question of the journalists, he said, we want more number of local and foreign observers to observe the election. He expressed hope that foreign observers will come before the vote.

Christina Lu, on behalf of prestigious journal 'Foreign Affairs' focuses on this week's 'World Brief', where she looks at U.S. efforts to counter China’s Pacific diplomacy, the exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh, and Bangladesh’s deadly dengue outbreak.

Bangladesh’s historic dengue outbreak

Bangladeshi officials are scrambling to respond to the country’s worst-ever dengue outbreak as rising case numbers test the country’s medical infrastructure and drive up the prices of some treatments.

Dhaka has already documented more than 900 dengue-related fatalities in 2023, officials announced on Monday—a sharp increase from 281 deaths last year.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently supporting Dhaka’s efforts to bolster lab capacity, surveillance, clinical management, risk communication, and vector control, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this month.

“We have trained doctors and deployed experts on the ground,” he said. “We have also provided supplies to test for dengue and support care for patients.”

The Election Commission (EC) lifted the ban on the use of motorcycles by journalists on the day of the 12th National Assembly elections.

EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath gave the information on Monday (September 25).

He said that the policy regarding the use of motorcycles by journalists has been amended. According to the new decision, journalists can use motorcycles on polling days.

Earlier, the Election Commission had issued a policy on April 12 regarding journalists gathering news on polling day.

According to the policy, a reasonable number of vehicle stickers will be issued for journalists to travel. However, motorcycles cannot be used.

The policy also states that only journalists with valid cards issued by the Election Commission can directly enter polling stations.

However, after entering the polling station, the presiding officer can be notified to collect information, take pictures and video of the polling process. However, you cannot take pictures of the inside of the secret room.

At the same time, more than two media journalists cannot enter the same polling booth and cannot stay in the polling booth for more than 10 minutes.

In addition, journalists cannot interview election officials, election agents or voters in polling booths.

Not only that, there can be no live broadcast from inside the polling booth. At that time, the EC issued a total of 13 directives for journalists.