Sylhet Bureau

An indefinite transport strike has been called in Sylhet after a schoolboy was killed in a bus accident, leading to protests, bus vandalism, and arson.

The Sylhet District Bus, Minibus, and Microbus Workers' Union announced the strike on Monday.

Since Tuesday (December 31), bus services on the Sylhet-Jakiganj road have been suspended, causing major disruption for passengers, especially office-goers.

At the Kadamtali bus terminal, no buses were seen departing for Jakiganj, and similarly, no buses were arriving in Sylhet from Jakiganj.

Abdul Muhit, general secretary of the e Sylhet District Bus, Minibus, and Microbus Workers' Union, said the strike would continue until those responsible are brought to justice.

He further said: "If a bus driver is at fault, they should be punished according to the law. However, several buses were vandalized and set on fire by taking the law into one's own hands. In protest and due to concerns over security, our drivers have halted bus services on the Sylhet-Jakiganj road."

The accident occurred on Sunday, when ninth-grade student Abir Ahmed was killed by a bus in Jakiganj.

On Monday, the bus driver filed a complaint, accusing around fifty people of vandalizing and setting fire to buses.

Indian youth held with drug in Sylhet

The Border Guard Bangladesh arrested an Indian national in Sylhet on Sunday night on charge of entering the country and possessing illegal drugs.

The arrested is Dabbor Lang, 26, son of Jubeng Suting of Lapalong village at Paniyasal police station under East Khasia Hill district of Meghalaya State of India, the BGB said.

BGB 48 Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Md Hafizur Rahman confirmed the arrest.

The BGB in a statement said that a patrol team of the BGB detained Dabbor from Sangrampunji in the Jaflong area under Gowainghat upazila in Sylhet on Sunday night on charge of entering the country without any travel documents.

At that moment, 25 grammes of Addnok powder, a contraband drug, was also seized in his possession, the statement said.

The BGB 48 Battalion commander told that the arrested Indian national was handed over to Gowainghat police station on Sunday night after filing a case in this regard.

Gowainghat police station officer-in-charge Sarker Tofayel Ahmed told that the Indian national was produced before a judicial magistrate court on Monday afternoon and the court ordered to send him to jail in the case.

Oil reserves in Sylhet estimated at 1.5 crore barrels: Schlumberger

Sylhet oil field has been estimated to contain an extractable reserve of approximately 1.5 crore barrels of oil, as per a report by consultancy firm Schlumberger.

The report suggests that extraction at a rate of 600 barrels per day could sustain operations for up to a decade.

Sylhet Gas Fields Company Managing Director Rezaul Islam said, "The report projects reserves of 1.5 crore barrels. It also mentions the possibility of extracting 500 to 600 barrels daily."

Schlumberger's report highlights an extractable volume of 14.8 million barrels (approximately 1.5 crore barrels) of high-quality oil.

During preliminary production tests, 70 barrels were extracted in two hours on the first day.

Located in Joyintapur, the Sylhet-10 well has oil reserves identified between depths of 1,397 and 1,445 metres.

Preparations are underway for drilling an additional well in the field.

Petrobangla Chairperson Janendra Nath Sarkar revealed that the Schlumberger report has been submitted and is currently under evaluation.

"We are awaiting our team's assessment before announcing the reserves officially," he remarked.

However, he expressed optimism regarding the findings, noting, "The oil's quality is superior. Samples sent to BUET and Eastern Refinery have been confirmed as high-grade."

The Sylhet-10 well, completed in November 2023, also revealed three gas layers at depths of 2,460-2,475 metres, 2,540-2,576 metres, and 3,300 metres.

Preliminary estimates by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources place the potential gas reserves between 43.6 and 106 billion cubic feet.

Gas extraction preparations are in progress; however, the lack of a pipeline has delayed operations.

A six-inch diameter pipeline from the Sylhet-10 well to Haripur is under construction. Sarkar indicated that only three kilometres of the pipeline remain unfinished, and efforts are underway to complete it within a month.

He added, "Our team will visit Sylhet shortly and address any remaining issues with the Roads and Highways Department to expedite completion."

Gas production from the well is expected to commence in February, with an initial output of 20-25 million cubic feet per day.

At its peak, domestic gas fields produced 2,800 million cubic feet of gas daily.

As of 25 December, production had declined to 1,925 million cubic feet, reflecting a consistent downward trend.

Petrobangla forecasts that gas demand in the 2026-27 fiscal year will exceed 4,500 million cubic feet, although some experts argue that the current demand already surpasses this figure.

Bangladesh first discovered oil in Haripur in 1986, although production ceased after five years.

During the 2023-24 fiscal year, the nation consumed 67.61 lakh tonnes of fuel oil, of which only 8% was sourced domestically as condensate from gas fields, while the remaining 92% was imported.

Among the total fuel consumed, diesel accounted for 63%, and furnace oil used in power generation constituted 14%.