A severe gas crisis gripped the capital as supply dropped due to maintenance work at an LNG terminal, with authorities saying the situation is unlikely to return to normal before early midnight Monday
In a press release issued Sunday, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited said the volume of gas received from LNG has decreased significantly as one LNG terminal remains closed. As a result, severe low pressure is prevailing at the customer end for all categories of consumers in areas under Titas.
From Monday morning, most areas of Dhaka reported no gas supply to household stoves. In some areas, there was no gas at all, while in others it burned weakly with very low pressure. Residents said they were facing difficulties cooking, with many resorting to electric stoves or buying food from outside.
Mitu Ahmed, a resident of Rajabazar, said gas pressure in the area usually remains low. “There has been no gas at all since last night. I am cooking on an electric stove. Will this problem ever be solved?” she asked.
Nuva Chowdhury from Banasree said: “There is gas, but the condition is so bad that it is not possible to fry even an egg. It takes half an hour just to heat water. The crisis has been long-standing. For this reason, we also keep a cylinder. Whenever there is a problem, we use that. In this way, we pay the gas bill on one hand and also bear the cylinder cost. We consumers are suffering losses from all sides.”
The crisis has also affected CNG filling stations. Long queues were seen at several stations in the capital as many were unable to supply gas to vehicles normally due to insufficient pressure. Drivers had to wait for extended periods, leading to a shortage of CNG-run auto-rickshaws in the city and increased suffering for passengers.
CNG driver Karim Billah said he visited several stations since morning but found no gas. “Later, when I found gas at one station, there was a very long line. I got gas after almost an hour,” he said, adding that many other drivers faced the same problem.
Farhan Noor, general secretary of the CNG Filling Station Owners Association, told Dhaka Tribune that stations were struggling due to the supply shortfall.
“There is no gas in the pipeline—how will we get it? Most stations are almost on the verge of closure. Even where there is gas, the pressure is so low that it is not possible to supply gas according to drivers’ demand,” he said.
He said the new government should first resolve the problems in the gas sector after assuming power, noting that consumers are facing extreme hardship due to the crisis.
Industry insiders also said the gas shortage has affected small industries as well as the hotel and restaurant sector.
