Bangladesh’s top industrialists have warned that the ongoing power and gas crisis is pushing the country’s industries to the brink of collapse.
At a joint press conference in Dhaka on Sunday, they accused the government of inaction and said both industries and entrepreneurs are being “destroyed.”
If the government fails to act now, a famine-like situation is inevitable, they said at the event held at the Gulshan Club.
Leaders from BTMA, FBCCI, BGMEA, BKMEA, BTTLMEA, BCI, and ICC-Bangladesh were present.
BTMA President Showkat Aziz Russell likened the situation to 1971: “Back then intellectuals were targeted; in 2025, it’s the entrepreneurs. We’re paying gas bills but getting no supply. Factories are idle, yet we’re pressured to repay loans, deal with soaring interest rates, and face government threats. Our backs are against the wall.”
He warned that failure to protect industry would lead to social unrest and mass unemployment, calling the crisis a “well-planned conspiracy.”
BCI President Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez added: “Entrepreneurs are being labeled defaulters after missing just three loan installments—while there’s no gas, no production, and threats over unpaid salaries. The government is neither supporting us nor easing its stance. Jobs are at risk.”
BTTLMEA Chairman Hossain Mehmood said several factories have already shut down.
“Is it not the government’s failure that it can’t ensure gas and electricity? Without pipeline expansion from Bhola, offshore drilling, or coal extraction, things will only get worse,” he added.
BTMA Director Khorshed Alam criticized billing practices and said: “The government is charging for gas it’s not supplying. If they don’t want to support the textile sector, they should say so clearly.”
BTMA Vice-President Saleudh Zaman Khan said: “I’m paying Tk6 million in salaries daily, while production is halted. Gas companies are overbilling under technical pretexts. If this continues, half the factories will shut down in a month or two.”
He also flagged rising interest rates—now at 14–15%—as a “death sentence” for many businesses. “The deteriorating business environment is driving away investment. Government talks are not translating into real inflows.”
The speakers accused the government of undermining local industries by importing duty-free paper and sugar despite having domestic production capacities, calling such decisions “self-destructive.”
They demanded immediate action to resolve the energy crisis, cut interest rates, adopt industry-friendly policies, and protect entrepreneurs.
