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Bangladesh's worsening gas crisis is disrupting industrial production, increasing operating costs and raising concerns over the country's export competitiveness, as factories across several sectors struggle with low gas supply and unstable pipeline pressure.
The crisis intensified after one of the country's two floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) was shut down on July 21 due to a technical fault, reducing the national gas supply by approximately 450 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), or about 17 percent.
Gas-dependent industries, including textiles, spinning, ceramics, food processing and fertiliser manufacturing, are operating below capacity or facing production delays.
Shams Mahmud, Managing Director of Shasha Denims, said his factory requires 8 PSI of gas pressure but is currently receiving only 2 to 3 PSI, forcing production slowdowns and causing damage to machinery. He added that many factories have switched to diesel, increasing operating costs by around 20 percent, while international buyers remain unwilling to bear the additional expense.
At Bombay Sweets, Chief Finance and Operations Officer Rajib Kumar Saha said energy costs have more than doubled after the company shifted to diesel. Electricity generated from gas costs around Tk 14–15 per unit, compared with nearly Tk 34 using diesel. The company has experienced a 30–40 percent drop in production, while its packaging unit, Toys Pack, has temporarily stopped accepting new orders until gas supplies improve.
Mohammed Amirul Haque, Managing Director of Delta Agrofood Industries, said food manufacturers are among the sectors hardest hit because of their heavy dependence on natural gas. Rising production costs, he said, are pushing up product prices without any immediate solution in sight.
The ceramic industry is also under pressure. A senior official at Fresh Ceramics said the factory is receiving only 15–16 PSI of gas pressure instead of the required 30–35 PSI, creating a risk of entire kiln batches being ruined during production.
Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, Executive President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said uncertain gas supplies have made production planning nearly impossible. Exporters are increasingly being forced to use expensive air freight to meet shipment deadlines, adding further pressure to an industry already facing weak global demand.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/business/1f188afb-4cce-6fe0-b9be-73ad00b5c1bc