A prolonged gas crisis in the capital has taken a turn for the worse, with many neighbourhoods now receiving no gas even during scheduled supply hours, leaving households unable to cook and forcing motorists into hours-long queues at CNG filling stations.
The nationwide shortage follows a technical fault at a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, which has significantly reduced gas supply. The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources said repairs could take at least two days, although officials involved in the work warned the process may take longer.
The disruption has led to long queues at CNG stations across Dhaka, where many drivers say they have waited six to seven hours, or even longer, without getting gas.
A fire at the floating LNG terminal operated by US-based Excelerate Energy has cut the country's daily gas supply by nearly 500 million cubic feet, affecting industries, power plants, CNG stations and household consumers.
Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said the impact could have been far more severe.
"Fortunately, the LNG carrier was at a safe distance. Otherwise, the situation could have been much worse," he said.
One of the country's floating LNG terminals in Chittagong has remained out of operation since July 21 due to a mechanical fault, further aggravating an already strained gas supply system. The latest disruption has intensified shortages in areas that had been experiencing low gas pressure for months.
At a press briefing, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division said engineers and technical experts were working to restore the terminal as quickly as possible. In the meantime, available gas is being distributed on a priority basis to essential sectors under emergency management.
However, officials acknowledged that repairs could take longer than initially expected and said no definite timeline could yet be given for resuming operations.
Energy Division spokesperson and Joint Secretary Munir Hossain Chowdhury said that while the immediate trigger for the crisis was the malfunction at the floating LNG terminal, Bangladesh's long-standing dependence on imported LNG had made the country's energy supply more vulnerable to such disruptions.
At around 5:00 pm on Thursday, CNG driver Kawsar Mia was still waiting at Zaman CNG Filling Station in Merul Badda after spending nearly a day in line.
"I've been here since yesterday waiting for gas, but I still haven't received any. I don't even know when it will be available," he told reporters.
Kawsar said he arrived at the station on Wednesday evening and waited until midnight before leaving his auto-rickshaw there overnight. He returned early Thursday morning, only to be told that no gas had been supplied to the station.
Another driver, Ansar Ali, said he had visited several stations but found no gas anywhere, forcing him to wait for hours.
After visiting the station, it was found that more than a dozen CNG drivers waiting in line with little hope of refuelling.
The situation is similar across the capital, where CNG stations have either suspended operations or are dispensing gas intermittently due to limited supply. As a result, both auto-rickshaw and private car drivers are facing severe disruption.
People familiar with the situation said the shortage has persisted for several days, with hundreds of vehicles lining up outside filling stations. Many drivers reported waiting six, eight and even 12 hours without success.
"We can't say when the gas will arrive," said Abu Sayeed, a sales employee at Zaman CNG Filling Station. "We haven't been able to supply any gas today. As soon as supply resumes, we'll start dispensing it immediately."
The same scenario was witnessed at several other CNG filling stations, where gas supplies have remained severely disrupted since Wednesday.
Several CNG drivers said they operate their vehicles under a daily rental system, requiring them to pay owners Tk 1,200 each day regardless of whether they earn any income. With no gas available to run their vehicles, they said they are unable not only to pay the daily rental but also to provide food for their families.
Titas Gas said it is currently supplying up to 2.7 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas per day against a daily demand of about 4.0 bcf. Of the total supply, around 10 percent is used for household cooking.
According to official data, Bangladesh has an estimated 7.63 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of recoverable natural gas reserves. However, the country is facing a daily gas supply deficit of around 1.146 billion cubic feet.
Based on the approved gas load for eight consumer categories, the country's total daily gas demand is estimated at approximately 3.8 billion cubic feet. In contrast, average daily gas supply stood at about 2.654 billion cubic feet through April of the 2025-26 fiscal year, leaving a shortfall of nearly 1.146 billion cubic feet each day.
Amid the persistent supply crunch, the government has decided against expanding the installation of prepaid gas meters for residential consumers as part of its strategy to manage the crisis.