Chief Coordinator and Official Spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Bangladesh Mohiuddin Ahmed in a press release issued today condemned the government decision to fulfil the demands of USA, UK and India regarding the Bay of Bengal. Mohiuddin Ahmed said few days back the government decided in principle to allow the US Company Conco Phillips to explore oil and gas in the Bay of Bengal. Also, the government is actively considering allowing the US to patrol the maritime boundary of Bay of Bengal. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is talking about opening up Chittagong port for the use of Asia, which of course means India. Commerce Minister Faruk Khan went a step further stating that there is nothing called my port or your port! It is clear that the government is creating a public opinion in favour of giving India access to the port. On top of this recently Petrobangla has decided to allow UK based oil company Cairn Energy to sell its share of gas at higher price to consumers directly violating the signed production sharing contract (PSC). This is on top of the fact that the clauses of PSC are anti-people and anti-Islamic. This is how within eight months of coming to power, the government is fulfilling the demands of foreign powers related to the Bay of Bengal.

Mohiuddin Ahmed said during the tenure of successive governments headed by both BNP and Awami League in the last decade locally led oil and gas exploration has been virtually stopped in the land. Today when the demand for gas, electricity and fertilizer has skyrocketed, the government is signing quick deals with foreign companies in the name of tackling shortages while the national exploration company, BAPEX is made to sit idly. At the same time despite the huge demand, Petrobangla refused to buy its own share of gas from Cairn, thereby allowing the company to sell gas to private parties.

Mohiuddin Ahmed further added the fact of the matter is that the Muslim Ummah does not lack the capital, skilled human resources or technology. But our rulers are signing deals with foreign oil and gas companies in violation of the Islamic Shari’ah and making the people of the country hostage to the imperialists. The current ruling system is such that the imperialists install the government and they also remove the government. That is why immediately after coming to power the government is simply executing the demands of the imperialists. It is imperative upon the Muslims to remove the current system if we want to see any change. Only the Khilafah will implement Islamic rules thereby ensuring proper use of Ummah’s resources. It will cancel all illegal facilities given to the foreign companies and guarantee supply of gas, electricity and fertilizer to the people.

Mohiuddin Ahmed

Official Spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Bangladesh