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Energy and Mineral Resources Division

division · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head
Mohammad Saiful Islam
Role
Secretary
Annual budget
৳23,110,000,000
Staff
—
Established
1998
Legal basis
Rules of Business 1996 (Bangladesh); Petroleum Act 1974; Mines and Minerals Act 1992

Executing a crisis-response LNG procurement strategy under the 2026 Middle East energy shock (spot LNG at ~USD 21/MMBTU), while advancing the Offshore PSC 2026 framework for 47 exploration blocks and a 100-well domestic drilling programme (2026-2029); BAPEX operating 5 rigs across Bhola (Shahbazpur, Bhola North, Ilisha) with 180 MMCFD pipeline to national grid targeted from 9 producing wells. Third FSRU at Moheshkhali under feasibility study after Summit contract cancellation.

Recent activity

Provenance & notes

Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam (15th BCS Administration batch) joined EMRD on 7 October 2024 from Finance Division Budget Wing; still in post as of May 2026 per official EMRD biography page. Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood (also known as Tuku) is a BNP National Standing Committee member; previously State Minister for Power under PM Khaleda Zia 2001-2006. Annual budget figure reflects revised FY2025-26 ADP allocation of Tk 23.11 billion for EMRD's development programme (not total ministry operating+ADP budget); operating budget for EMRD itself is not separately published in accessible form. Established year 1998 per Wikipedia and EMRD's own history: the division was carved out of the broader energy ministry structure that year. The 2026 energy crisis note: the 2026 Middle East conflict (US-Israel-Iran war) caused LNG spot prices to spike >140% from pre-conflict levels; Bangladesh is acutely exposed given ~95% import dependence for energy. Third FSRU: Summit's FSRU contract was cancelled October 2024; IIFC feasibility study for 4.5 MTPA facility at Moheshkhali is ongoing as of May 2026; no new contract signed. Bhola pipeline: BAPEX currently drilling in Shahbazpur, Bhola North, and Ilisha fields; 9 wells already drilled expected to feed 180 MMCFD via new pipeline; 19 additional wells planned in Bhola. Maddhapara is a granite mine (not coal); Barapukuria in Dinajpur is the coal mine -- both under Petrobangla umbrella and overseen by EMRD. Verification based on 2+ primary sources for all material claims.

Sources