The park is attached to Magurchhara, where a massive explosion during well drilling in 1996 by US company Occidental caused large scale destruction to forest resources and the ecology that raised an uproar in the country.

The road would be constructed to link the proposed wells with a gas processing plant.

Unocal officials have assured the government of taking special care in laying the pipeline and constructing the road so that forestlands and plantations in the nationally important site are not affected in any way, sources said.

The forest department earlier opposed the plan apprehending damage to the environment and bio-diversity in the area.

Energy Secretary-in-Charge Md Nazrul Islam during his visit in Moulvibazar on October 12 held a meeting with officials and Unocal Bangladesh chief Andrew Fawthrop, who gave an assurance that its work will not affect the forests and the National Park in any way, the sources said.

The secretary asked officials to ensure smooth work of Unocal.

Unocal would start gas extraction from Moulvibazar Gas Field to supply 70 MMCFD gas to the National Grid from two wells (MB-3 and MB-4) from March next year.

The supply will be doubled from July, said an official.

The company has also finalised a programme for drilling two more wells (MB-4 and M-5) near the Magurchhera gas well, now abandoned.

The MB-4 would be drilled in Fulbari Tea Estate area and MB-5 near Zerin Tea garden area. The proposed wells would be within a short distance of the existing two wells in Moulvibazar Gas Field, developed by Occidental, which left Bangladesh after handing over its business to Unocal in late 1999.

Unocal got approval from Petrobangla for development of the Moulvibazar Gas Field. The 43 million dollar programme includes drilling of two new production wells, construction of a gas processing plant and a 22-kilometer 16-inche pipeline to link the gas field with Petrobangla's North-South Pipeline at Muchhai in Habiganj. It signed a Gas Purchase and Sale Agreement (GPSA) with Petrobangla earlier.

Preliminary work for road construction and pipeline laying has been started. Dilling of the two wells will begin in February-March next year, the source hoped.

On successful completion of the production wells, the company would be able to supply a total of 150 MMCF gas every day to the Petrobangla's system from the four wells including the existing two wells.

Unocal may engage foreign companies for drilling the new wells, the source added.

German company Deutag worked in drilling the Magurchhara, Bibiyana and Jalalabad gas fields, developed by Occidental.