Term paper on Economic Aspects of Mineral and Power Resources in Bangladesh

Introduction

Mineral resources are very valuable from all the natural resources. It is very important for any country’s economic development. The entire factor, which are important for a country’s economic development and human welfare definitely mineral resources are in that list.

Bangladesh is not rich in mineral resources. We have a very few type of mineral resources and some of them is not in sufficient amount.In past all the survey happened in our sub-continent Bangladesh was not in that list. In that all scientist thought that Bangladesh is not good enough for this type of survey. Actually in that time scientist have found huge amount of mineral resources on Choto Nagpur so it did not give time to be concern with the other portion of this sub continent after the division of the sub continent at 1947 scientist can give time to concern with the other portion of this sub continent. After the division of the sub continent at 1947 the hunts of mineral resources start with step by step.

Mineral resources are important for every country. All the country, which are economically developed those, are rich in mineral resources. Coal, iron, mineral oil is the main resource for the development of a country. Those countries are developed which are utilizing their mineral resources properly. As example we can tell about United States of America, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Russian Federation, Kuwait etc.

Bangladesh is a developing country. Nowadays we are looking that it is going for become industrialized. So, mineral resources are not only important for our country but also too much assential. For the developing of this country’s economy mineral recourses has unlimited importance but unfortunately Bangladesh is not rich in mineral resources. Only natural gas can be considered as the main mineral resources of our country. On the other hand petroleum is also another main mineral resource of us. Though Silica Sand, White clay, Hard rock are not actually mineral resources if we consider it as international level. But now these resources are heavily used in our industrial sector as raw material.

Classification of mineral resources of Bangladesh

We have different type of resources and we can classify our mineral resources into three broad categories. Those are listed bellow-

 Power resources.

• Immaterial mineral resources.
• Material mineral resources.

Power resources: All the mineral resources which are used to produce power for our uses are called power resources. Some of our mineral resources are in this category. Those are

• Natural Gas.
• Coal.
• Carosine Oil.
• Petroleum etc

Though we have some other power resources which are not coming from mineral those ares-

• Wood fuel.
• Electric power.
• Tidal power etc

Immaterial mineral resources:  All mineral resources which are not material can

be categorized in this group. We can have some of this resource. Those ares-

• Lime stone
• Glass sand (silica sand)
• China clay (White clay)
• Hard Rock
• Mineral Sand
•  Salt
• Atomic Sand
• Sulfur

Material mineral resources:

• Copper
• Iron
• Zinc etc

Though these types of resources are not found in our country but many scientist thinks that we might have these resources under the surface and we may discovered its future period and consume it.

Description of mineral and power resources of Bangladesh

Natural Gas:

Natural Gas is the most important resources for our country. By using these resources properly we can bring out our economy in a very higher position. From the very past time our scientist gases that our country have a huge amount of natural gas, but we can start to discover these gas field just after 1950.

The different gas field of Bangladesh and there position-

Discover of gas field of Bangladesh and operating company-

Gas well in different gas field-

Uses of Gas in different sector-

Uses of gas in the fertilizer Production-

 Demand of natural gas in Bangladesh- (Billion Square Foot)

National Gas Reserve of Bangladesh-

Coal:

Coal is an important mineral resource for Bangladesh. We have some reserve of coal, but we do not have sufficient amount of coal reserve. In different place of Bangladesh these are different type of coal has been discovered but some of them are not economically profitable. So that places has no effect in our economy. We have in different type of coal those are-

• Bituminous coal (best coal in Bangladesh)
• Pit coal
• Lignite coal (worst coal in Bangladesh)

Places in Bangladesh where coal are found-

Main coal reserve in Bangladesh-

Though Bangladesh have different places where coal are founded but all of them are not profitable. some of them are totally untouched, some of them have poor quality coal. Only few of them have good quality coal and economically profitable.

Mineral oil:

Scientist were trying to find mineral oil from very past period but it is easily be told that they are not so much successful. In 1987 our scientists have found an oil field in Sylhet’s Horipur and another one in Bormihal of Moulovibazar. In Haripur we have four core barrel oil reserves. If we will find widely than we have very possibility that we will find more oil reserve.

Our demand of fuel in every year-

In future we might found mineral oil-

 Limestone:

 Limestone is popular for the raw materials of cement. Limestones have been discovered in Nineteen Century at Sylhet’s Jaflong and Joyontika.

Limestone are founded in follows place-

 Reserve of limestone in deferent place of Bangladesh-

Production of limestone in each year-

Silica Sand:

Silica sand is the main raw material of glass industry. For these reason it is also called as glass sand. Silica sand is available in many place of Bangladesh.

List of the places where silica sand is available-

Appropriate reserve of silica \ glass sand in Bangladesh-

White clay:

In our country white clay are familiar to us as China clay. Mainly it used to produce Ceramic product and sanitary product. China clay is important for our ceramic and sanitary industry. Nowadays it is also used as row material of electric exieosoris produce industry and some chemical industry.

Some places where China \ White clay are available-

Hard rock:

Hard rock is founded in the north part of the country. It can be founded different places of there but all of them have not sufficient productivity. Some are totally useless. Hard rock can be used for making our infra structure developed.

Places where Hard rock can be founded-

Approximate reserve of Hard rock in Bangladesh-

Mineral Sand:

An Australian scientist had discovered the mineral sand in the sea shore of Cox’es Bazar for the first time. This discovers might be a great opportunity for Bangladesh. This mineral sand is also called as radio active sand. If it is really radio active sand than it is going to be a great resource for Bangladesh

Scientist found this type of sand in follows place-

• Cox’esbazar
• Takenaf
• Moheskhali
• Maturberi
• Kutubdia

Atomic mineral:

In Bangladesh scientist have found a very few amount of atomic mineral.

Those ares-

• Zinkon
• Rutel
• Ziolite
• Menite
• Liueoxen
• Magnatite etc

Salt:

Though salt is one kind of mineral resource but for our country it could not be called mineral resource. Main source of salt in our country is sea water. For this reason it could not be called mineral resource in our country.

Sulfur:

Now we found little quantity of sulfur in our country. In Bangladesh we found it in Kutubdia which is in Cox’es Bazar District.

Wood fuel:

It is one kind of power resource in our country. Still today many people of our country use wood fuel for their daily purpose like cooking. Using wood fuel as the source energy is little bit harmful for our nature. It has negative effect in our ecology. Using wood fuel as the source energy is one of the important case which are destroying our forest resources.

Electric power:

Electric power is very important for our country. Most of out industries are operated by electricity. Electricity is not only important for country like Bangladesh but also it has great importance in the all countries economy all over the world. Bangladesh has total ten centers where electricity has been produce.

List of the Bangladesh’s electricity Production center and the main elements to produce electricity-

 Uses of Electricity in deferent sector of Bangladesh-

The source of electricity produced and their proportion-

Production of electricity in Bangladesh-

Name of the new Production center whose development works is running-

• Boropukuria
• Horipur
• Shidirgonj
• Tongi Gas Turbine
• Bagabari gas turbine
• Varamara combind cycle
• Megna ghat combind cycle (a e s)
• Vola
• Sylhet
• Mongla
• Gazipur
• Shirajgonj
• WRIP
• Chandpur combind cycle
• Poribo
• Khulna
• Tongi Gas Turbine

Tidal power:

Though tidal power has a great opportunity in Bangladesh but we can see that we are not using these resources properly we have one and only electricity production center where tidal power are use as main source. which is situated in Kaptai in Rangamati district. Our government should have to take proper care and give proper attention in this sector by using tidal power we can produce more electricity.

Importance of mineral resources in Bangladesh economy:

Mineral resources are important for every country. All the country, which are economically developed those, are rich in mineral resources. Coal, iron, mineral oil is the main resource for the development of a country. Those countries are developed which are utilizing their mineral resources properly. As example we can tell about United States of America, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Russian Federation, Kuwait etc.

Bangladesh is a developing country. Nowadays we are looking that it is going for become industrialized. So, mineral resources are not only important for our country but also too much essential. For the developing of this country’s economy mineral recourses has unlimited importance but unfortunately Bangladesh is not rich in mineral resources. Only natural gas can be considered as the main mineral resources of our country. On the other hand petroleum is also another main mineral resource of us. Though Silica Sand, White clay, Hard rock are not actually mineral resources if we consider it as international level. But now these resources are heavily used in our industrial sector as raw material.

Here some uses of our mineral resources for the development of our economy in industrial sector are given bellow-

 i.  Raw material and industrial development in Bangladesh:

We are using Natural Gas, Silica Sand, white clay as raw material. For these reason Fertilizer, Cement industry are developing in our country. So we can tell mineral resources helping us to make our country industrialized.

 ii. Power source     :

 Maximum small and large industries are using heat Electricity and natural gas is main element or key element to produced heat electricity.

 iii. Fuel:

Natural gas founded in Bangladesh used as fuel for cooking. For this reason most Bangladeshi people gets most economic facilities. On other hand gas also used for produce heat in most fertilized factory.

iv.   Future:   

Futures of natural recourses of Bangladesh are looking bright. We have opportunity to research and we also have bright prospect. Proper uses of natural resources can bring our economy in a very higher position.

v.  Natural Gas:

Our natural gas and other resources helping us, it makes our import cost of gas and other energy very low. All the mineral resources that we have we need not to import those. By this way they saved a huge amount of foreign currency.

 vi.  Making road, Highway, Dam:

 Hard Rock and small rock that can be found in our country we use them to make our road highway and Dam.

vii.  Development of Agriculture:

Our mineral resources especially natural gases help us to produce more agricultural product indirectly. Natural gas helps to produce fertilizer and fertilizer helps us to produce more crops.

 viii.   Natural income:

A mineral resource of this country helps to make the nation income of this country.

 ix. Solve Unemployment:

Mineral and power resources helps to spread our economic activities and solve little portion of unemployment problem, It helps us to solve unemployment thus this way—–

1. Many people all over the country works in different places. People work in gas field Oil field and other places when we find our mineral resource. It creates opportunity for our people to get works and get new job.
2. For mineral resources many industry are building our country, it also creating many peoples employment opportunity.

1. c.      A huge number of people involved in working to distribute and transport the raw material of industry and industrialized product.

1. d.      Mineral resources help to make the agriculture sector more productive. For that reason our agricultural sector are being able to create more opportunity for those people who are still unemployment.

 x.  Higher living standard:

Availability of mineral resources makes our natural income high. Helps to create employ opportunities and spread economic activities. For that per capital income also rises and standard of living of our people being higher People are getting more facilities. In total we can say it our mineral resources importance knows no bound. For development of our industrial sector and our economy it operates a great importance. But we are very unlucky that we have lack of sufficient amount of mineral resources. Iron, Manganese, Bauxite etc mineral is not available in our country and our oil resources not rich. If we have these resources then our country could be more developed.

Conclusion

There are some crucial elements for the development of a country. Mineral resources are one of those crucial elements. When we talk about the economy of a developing country like Bangladesh then we has to min it that mineral resource could be a great turning point for this types of economy. As a developing country our resources might be our turn event point sine we haven’t sufficient amount of mineral an power resources we have to consider it as our bad opportunity but we should have to be concern with those resources what we have. In foreign market our natural gases has a great demand we utilize it properly and earn a hug amount of foreign currency by exporting this resource. Natural resources are not in our hand it is a win fall gain so it will not be far that we are only considering that what we haven’t.

Our manpower is a great substitute to natural resources. If we start to make a good combination between our manpower and natural resources then we can say that it will bring a great positive affect on our economy.

According to the total paper our resources especially mineral and power has a great impact on our economy. The most powerful indicator of a country’s economy must be their mineral and power resources.

References

• Bangladesh Statistical Burro
• CPD
• Internet
• Mineral resources of Bangladesh
• Higher secondary economics and commercial geography