AMID severe gas supply disruption across the capital, residents of Rayerbagh blocked the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway on February 1, demanding an uninterrupted gas supply to households. The protesters say that for more than a week, there has been no supply of gas to households, leaving people with no choice but to use electric stoves, high-cost liquefied petroleum gas or outside food. They left the road on assurances from Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution that the supply would be restored. The gas crisis reported in Rayerbagh is, however, not unique. For days, thousands of households at Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Shyamali, New Market, Hazaribagh, Gabtali, Khilgaon and surrounding neighbourhoods have faced severe disruption in supply gas. Most gas users report receiving gas for only a couple of hours a day, often late at night or early in the morning. In January, the authorities have attributed the severe shortage to damage to a major pipeline breach beneath the River Turag and a burst valve at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, incidents that further reduced pressure in an already strained distribution network. A month later, the situation remains the same, with no effective plan or steps in place to improve the supply.
Petrobangla data show that the capital’s average daily gas supply has declined compared with previous years. The average gas supply declined from 2,826mmcfd in 2022 to 2,596mmcfd in 2026. Even with a conservative demand projection, the gas shortfall exceeds 1,000mmcfd, with the actual gap now estimated at more than 1,200mmcfd as demand rises across all sectors. Over two months, Petrobangla has diverted additional gas to fertiliser plants in the context of declining output from international oil companies while ensuring that the industrial sector receives sufficient supply. Household consumers, meanwhile, bear the brunt. Liquefied petroleum gas cylinders, which are marketed as the quick alternative to the crisis, remain far beyond the reach of ordinary consumers. Now, a 12kg cylinder sells for Tk 2,400–2,500, nearly double the set price of Tk 1,350. To ease financing pressure on local importers amid a deepening gas supply crisis, the government has allowed LPG imports under suppliers or buyers’ credit. The move may provide temporary relief. But, it is not a sustainable solution. Experts attribute the energy crisis to flawed energy policies, pointing to a decade-long neglect of gas exploration and inadequate support for renewable energy. The Awami League government focused heavily on liquefied natural gas import while overlooking the exploration of domestic gas reserves despite their significant potential.
The government should, therefore, urgently devise a solution to ensure adequate gas supply to industries and households. For a long-term resolution, it needs to revise the energy policy, prioritising the exploration of domestic gas sources and reducing its over-dependence on imports.
