Homemakers in the capital are struggling to prepare iftar as a severe gas shortage leaves stoves barely lit, with flames so weak that achieving the right cooking texture has become nearly impossible.
This disruption, reported by many residents on the first day of Ramadan, is a direct result of household gas being redirected to power plants.
An investigation into the sudden drop in gas pressure revealed that rising temperatures since early March have forced authorities to reallocate gas supplies.
With temperatures soaring and the irrigation season in full swing since February, the demand for electricity in March has surged, prompting power plants to receive priority access to gas.
As a consequence, residential areas across Dhaka are facing significant hardships.
On Sunday, the country received a total of 2,856 million cubic feet of gas despite soaring demand, which exceeded 4,000 million cubic feet.
Meanwhile, grid power plants have seen a noticeable increase in their daily allocation—from 830 million cubic feet at the end of last month to 916 million cubic feet today.
This additional 86 million cubic feet, attributed to rising temperatures, has further strained the limited household supply.
Fatema Akhter Runa, a resident of Bhuter Goli in Kalabagan, expressed her frustration: “We suffer from gas shortages all year round; during Ramadan, the challenge becomes even more acute. If gas arrives at 6pm, how are we supposed to prepare iftar on time?”
Similarly, Mithu Ahmed from Banasree said: “On the first day of fasting, we had no choice but to buy iftar because there was no gas until 11pm. It’s unsustainable to expect us to purchase meals every day.”
The shortage is not confined to a few pockets of Dhaka.
Numerous neighborhoods—including areas in Old Dhaka, Rampura, Ulan, Hazaribagh, parts of Khilgaon, Mirpur, Uttara, Mohammadpur, Maniknagar, and Basabo—have reported a significant decline in gas pressure early in the day, with supplies dwindling to nothing by the afternoon.
Kazi Mohammad Saidul Hasan, General Manager (Operations) of Titas Gas, said: “We requested an average of 1,960 million cubic feet of gas this month. However, yesterday’s delivery was around 1,559 million cubic feet, and by noon today, it had only marginally increased to about 1,570 million cubic feet. There remains a shortfall of nearly 400 million cubic feet.”
He added that while an increase in LNG supply is slightly easing the situation, the simultaneous rise in electricity demand—especially during critical times such as sehri, iftar, and Taraweeh prayers—has necessitated prioritizing gas for power generation.
“Nevertheless, we are making every effort to boost the gas supply to households,” Hasan explained.
