Is there an way to preserve the sqlplus connection from shell script - bash

Question

In DB2, after connecting to DB, until and unless we are specifically use TERMINATE command, the connection keeps open and can be used for several sql execution using same connection inside a shell script.
Is there any way to do the same in oracle sqlplus from shell script?
For Example: bash script may look like below
1. start of bash
2. sqlplus connection created
3. some bash commands
4. execute query using the same sqlplus connection created in 2nd step
5. some bash commands
6. execute query using the same sqlplus connection created in 2nd step

Answer 1

thanks for the help. I have found another solution which I think best suits my requirement and its working perfectly fine.
By accessing SQL*Plus using a Korn Shell Coprocess.
Below is an example I have run and it has given all results perfectly.
#!/bin/ksh
##
##
output=""
set -f output
integer rc
typeset -r ERRFILE=$0.err
typeset -r EOF="DONE"
## Create the error file or zero it out if it already exists.
> $ERRFILE
## Start sqlplus in a coprocess.
sqlplus -s connection |&
## Exit SQL/Plus if any of the following signals are received:
## 0=normal exit, 2=interrupt, 3=quit, 9=kill, 15=termination
trap 'print -p "exit"' 0 2 3 9 15
## Send commands to SQL/Plus.
print -p "set heading off;"
print -p "set feedback off;"
print -p "set pagesize 0;"
print -p "set linesize 500;"
##
## Send a query to SQL/Plus. It is formatted so we can set a shell variable.
##
print -p "select 'COUNT1='||count(*) as count from dual;"
print -p "prompt $EOF"
while read -p output
do
if [[ "$output" == "$EOF" ]]; then
break
else
## eval forces the shell to evaluate the line twice. First, replacing
## "$output" with "COUNT1=99999", then again which creates and sets
## a variable.
eval $output
fi
done
##
## Send another query to the same running sql/plus coprocess.
##
print -p "select 'COUNT1_DATE='|| sysdate as count_date from dual;"
print -p "prompt $EOF"
while read -p output
do
if [[ "$output" == "$EOF" ]]; then
break
else
eval $output
fi
done
print -p "select 'COUNT2='||count(*)||';COUNT2_DATE='||sysdate from dual;"
print -p "prompt $EOF"
while read -p output
do
if [[ "$output" == "$EOF" ]]; then
break
else
eval $output
fi
done
print -p "select count(*)||'|'||sysdate from dual;"
print -p "prompt $EOF"
while read -p output
do
if [[ "$output" == "$EOF" ]]; then
break
else
IFS="|" ## Set the Input Field Separator.
set -A output_array $output ## Create an array. It parses
## automatically on the IFS character.
fi
done
print "COUNT1 count is $COUNT1"
print "COUNT1 date is $COUNT1_DATE\n"
print "COUNT2 count is $COUNT2"
print "COUNT2 date is $COUNT2_DATE\n"
print "Array count3: ${output_array[0]}"
print "Array date3: ${output_array[1]}"