Dhaka, March 24 -- The Prime Minister's Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury has blamed the global oil companies for the macroeconomic pressure on Bangladesh over a dollar reserve crisis.

He says the oil firms "robbed Bangladesh of $14 billion in 3 years".

Tawfiq made the comments at a seminar on the ruling Awami League's economic manifesto, and trends and challenges facing the country on Sunday.

Speaking at the event organised by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, he said paying for fuel oil triggered the economic pressure.

"And there was a robbery here. I've calculated that all the oil companies robbed Bangladesh of $14 billion in past three years," he said, adding that his calculation is based in the time from the star...