Dhaka: Amid pressure from foreign investors, Bangladesh government would soon announce a decision on exporting natural gas to India without seeking Parliamentary approval, reports said on November 22.

Begum Khaleda Zia's alliance government would soon take a decision on gas export without seeking approval from the Parliament, as the time-frame set by investors is getting nearer, local daily 'Prothom Alo' said.

The US, a major investor in the country, has asked the government to decide on gas export and setting up a container terminal at Chittagong by December 2002, the report said.

Delegates from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) who met with Energy Minister Mosharraf Hossain recently had also asked to take a quick decision on gas export to enable funding of a pipeline construction in Western part of the country.

However, the minister had earlier stated that the matter would first be discussed in the ongoing Parliament session before a decision is announced.

Meanwhile, policy makers and analysts in Bangladesh expressed concern that the gas market in India may get "filled up" in case Dhaka further dithered in taking decision.

US oil giant UNOCAL had last year proposed exporting gas to Gujarat through a 1,363- km pipeline, which would likely fetch $ 200 to 300 million per annum and help bridge trade gap between New Delhi and Dhaka.

Natural gas export is a sensitive issue for Bangladesh. The main Opposition Awami League says that exports would hamper national interests, as the country must first be assured of a 50-year reserve.

PTI