Staff Reporter (CTG Mail):

A severe gas shortage has disrupted daily life across Chattogram, leaving thousands of households without cooking gas, forcing factories to slash production, creating long queues at CNG filling stations, and worsening power outages in the country’s main commercial hub.

The crisis has intensified over the past several days, with residents in many neighbourhoods reporting that gas pressure drops to near zero for most of the day. As a result, families are struggling to prepare meals, while industries dependent on natural gas are operating far below capacity.

According to officials at Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL), Chattogram’s normal daily gas demand is around 350 million cubic feet (MMCFD). Initially, the region was receiving nearly 200 MMCFD, but supply has declined further since the beginning of August, deepening the crisis for both residential and industrial consumers.

Households struggle as cooking schedules collapse

Residents in Halishahar, Agrabad, Chandgaon, Chawkbazar, Bakalia and Patenga said gas pressure usually disappears after dawn, making it impossible to cook during normal meal times.

Many families have been forced to prepare lunch late in the afternoon or even after midnight when gas pressure partially returns. Others have turned to restaurants and takeaway food, increasing their daily household expenses.

“Irregular gas supply has left us without any fixed meal schedule for almost a week,” said Ishrat Jahan, a resident of Askar Dighi area.

“Cooking during the day has become nearly impossible. We are worried because our young children are having to depend on restaurant food almost every day,” she said.

Long queues at CNG stations

The gas shortage has also severely affected transport services.

Drivers of CNG-powered auto-rickshaws and microbuses are spending hours waiting at refuelling stations, many returning without fuel due to extremely low gas pressure.

Mohammad Forhad Alam, an auto-rickshaw driver from Moijjar Tek, said filling his vehicle previously took between 10 and 20 minutes.

“Now I have to wait nearly four hours. Most of my working day is spent standing in queues instead of carrying passengers,” he said.

Industrial output falls sharply

Industrial production has also taken a significant hit.

KGDCL officials said large industrial facilities, including Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL), have reduced production by 35 to 50 percent because of insufficient gas supply.

Export-oriented garment factories, steel mills, textile manufacturers and food-processing plants are operating well below their installed capacity, raising concerns over export commitments and supply chains.

Power generation affected, load-shedding worsens

The gas shortage has further strained electricity generation, as gas-fired power plants struggle to maintain normal output.

Reduced power generation has resulted in frequent load-shedding across residential neighbourhoods and industrial zones, adding to public frustration and disrupting business activities.

Business leaders warn of economic consequences

President of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Amirul Haque, said industries in the port city were bearing the brunt of the crisis.

“The gas shortage has significantly reduced industrial production. Export orders and product deliveries are being disrupted, and the prolonged crisis could have wider implications for the national economy,” he said.

He urged the government to restore normal gas supply as quickly as possible.

LNG terminal disruption behind the crisis

Officials familiar with the situation said the crisis began after a fire and technical failure at the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) at Moheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar on July 21, reducing LNG regasification capacity to well below normal levels.

At the same time, a significant portion of available gas allocated for Chattogram has reportedly been diverted to Dhaka to ease the nationwide supply deficit, further reducing pressure in the port city’s distribution network.

Authorities hope for improvement after repairs

KGDCL General Manager (Engineering Services Division) Engineer Md Tajuddin Dhali said authorities had expected the situation to improve after August 1, but declining pressure and gas flow had made conditions even worse.

He said the company was maintaining constant communication with higher authorities to restore normal supply as soon as possible.

Officials at the Energy and Mineral Resources Division said the operator of the damaged floating LNG terminal has requested until August 10 to complete repairs.

Until the terminal resumes full operation and LNG supply to the national grid returns to normal, residents and businesses in Chattogram are unlikely to see any significant relief from the ongoing gas crisis.