News Flash
SANGSAD BHABAN, April 2, 2026 (BSS)- Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood today said that coal extraction from the Khalashpir coalfield in Pirganj of Rangpur will be decided after completing a full feasibility study.
Iqbal said this in the parliament in a written reply to a question from Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Md. Nurul Amin (Rangpur-6) in the House.
The minister said coal potential in the Khalashpir area of Pirganj upazila was first detected during geological surveys conducted between 1959 and 1962 in the Gondwana basin.
Later, the Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB) drilled four wells in 1989–90 over 25 square kilometers area, where high-quality bituminous coal was found at depths of 257 to 451 metres in three wells.
A reserve of 143 million metric tons of coal was found in 2.52 square kilometres area, he said adding that a further exploration conducted in 2006 by CJMDC identified about 705.69 million metric tons of coal reserves in 7.62 square kilometres of the field.
The minister added that Hosaf International Ltd. and Shandong-Ludi and Xinwen Mining Group Consortium jointly conducted a techno-economic feasibility study in 2005–2006 after obtaining exploration licences. During this period, 11 additional core boreholes were drilled.
According to preliminary data, the Khalashpir coalfield contains around 685 million metric tons of coal across 12.25 square kilometer area, he said.
The minister also said that in 2009 the Hydrocarbon Unit appointed International Mining Consultants Group Consulting Limited (IMCGCL), UK, to review the earlier techno-economic feasibility study.
The review report identified several limitations and recommended conducting a comprehensive feasibility study before taking any decision on coal extraction.
Iqbal said the government will take a final decision on coal mining in Khalashpir based on the results of the complete feasibility study.
Regarding iron ore in Pirganj, the minister said geological exploration has found initial evidence of iron-rich mineral presence in Shanerhat and surrounding areas, and further drilling and laboratory analysis are underway to assess economic viability before commercial extraction.
