Dr Tawfiq E Elahi Chowdhury power, energy and mineral resources adviser to the PM said that the government will finalize the National Coal Policy by the end of the year.

He said while speaking at a seminar on prospect of coal gasification in the conference room of petrobangla in the capital that "We should put more stress on diversification of energy. And coal is the most reliable source of energy for us.”

Mr Hossain Mansoor chairman of Petrobangla made welcome speech. Mr Md Mesbahuddin secretary of Energy Division was present as special guest. Mr Badrul Imam of Geology Department of Dhaka University presented the key note paper. Underscoring the need to adopt modern technology for 'energy extraction' the Energy Adviser to the Prime Minister said that coal gasification could be a source to get energy that could help generate power.

Dr Elahi said that the aquifer lair is main hurdle in coal mining in the country. He underscored the need to form an experts committee to extract coal as an experimental basis through gasification.

Dr Badrul Imam said that except north western part of Barapukuria Coal Mine, it would not be wise to extract open pit coal mining in other parts of the country. He said that unconventional mining, side by side with conventional ones, could be a source to produce gas in the coal mine that would ultimately help power houses to generate power.

He said that the total reserve of coal in Barapukuria is about 300 million tonnes. And only 10 per cent of the total reserve has so far been recovered. Underground mining and open pit mining are the 2 conventional methods while Coal Bed Methane and Underground Coal Gasification are the unconventional methods to produce gas in the coal mine.

(Sourced from nation.ittefaq.com)