Bangladesh, Nov. 1 -- Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has invited Norwegian companies to explore and extract oil and gas in Bangladesh's coastal areas, including Bhola.

He made the invitation when Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh Hakon Arald Gulbrandsen paid a courtesy call on him at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Sunday, reports UNB.

Hafiz Uddin said the democratic rights of the people had been undermined during the 17 years of an autocratic regime and "farcical elections" under the Awami League government had kept parliamentary democracy in a state of confinement.

He alleged that the authoritarian government had established a reign of terror through enforced disappearances, killings, terrorism and extrajudicial killings.

Former prime min...