The warning came following a letter by Asia Energy to the adviser of the Energy Ministry protesting his remarks.

Chief Executive Officer of the Asia Energy Corporation Bangladesh Gary Lye in his letter dated March 19 protested the advisor's comment on Phulbari project.

"The government has been surprised to receive such a letter from Asia Energy," said the Advisor of Energy Ministry, Mahmudur Rahman, in reply to the firm's protest note.

Mahmudur Rahman said the observation of Asia Energy on his comment is "unwarranted and totally unacceptable".

"This issue is a policy matter of the government and you are strongly advised not to try to interfere with the policy decision of a sovereign country," the Energy Advisor said in his letter to Gary Lye.

Earlier on March 16, the energy adviser termed government's exploration licence agreement with Asia Energy against national interest and demanded punishment for those responsible.

"How an agreement like this can be signed in a sovereign country?" he asked while speaking at a meet- the-energy-reporters dialogue at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

Contradicting Rahman's remarks, Asia Energy's letter said that the agreement was properly negotiated and legally signed on the basis of the law of the land.

The multinational also expressed its concern over the "potentially harmful impact" the adviser's remarks could cast on security of the Asia Energy officials and their property.

Taking the security concern into account, Mahmudur Rahman, in his letter, noted that there should not be such concern for security of the company's property and personnel.

"We would like to assure you our full cooperation in arranging your genuine security needs as before," the adviser said.

Asia Energy submitted a scheme to the government involving its USD 12 billion investment in the Phulbari coal-mine project over the next 30 years.

It has also submitted a $ 476 million investment proposal to install a 500-megawatt coal-fired power plant alongside the Phulbari coal-mine in Dinajpur.

Of the total $12 billion investment, the company has earmarked $2 billion as capital cost and $ 10 billion as operating cost, company sources said.