Bangladesh’s gas supply will return to normal within one to one-and-a-half weeks after a technical fault at the Moheshkhali terminal was fixed, BNP Acting Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a tree-planting programme in Dhaka’s 300 Feet area organised by Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP to mark the party’s founding anniversary, Rizvi said the gas crisis was not unique to Bangladesh but part of a wider international problem.

“The technical fault at the Moheshkhali gas terminal has been fixed,” he said. “Gas supply will be normal within the next one to one-and-a-half weeks. The crisis will be resolved. Stoves in kitchens will burn again and adequate fuel will be available for mills and factories. This is the government’s commitment.”

Rizvi said the government had allocated BDT 400 billion for rapid purchases of liquefied natural gas and was taking steps to ensure adequate fuel supplies. “The government is not sitting idle,” he said.

The BNP leader attributed the crisis to global factors rather than government failure, citing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Iran conflict. Ships were unable to pass through the strait because of fears of mines and bombs, while air strikes were continuing, he said.

“Our government has taken an active role in Malaysia, Indonesia and elsewhere to resolve the crisis quickly,” Rizvi said.

Asked about opposition protests over gas shortages, Rizvi said a constructive opposition should explain the causes of the crisis. “But if it’s about putting the government in a difficult position and fishing in troubled waters, that’s a different matter,” he said.

The government had given the highest priority to public interest and had taken no steps against it, Rizvi added.

On tree planting, Rizvi said planting trees was essential to tackling the dangers posed by climate change. Wetlands needed to be re-excavated and cleaned, while rivers, canals and other water bodies needed to be cleared, he said. Industrial chemical waste and other toxic substances were polluting the water, he added.