New Delhi, Aug 2026 : Bangladesh’s prolonged gas shortage is intensifying pressure on the country’s industrial sector, forcing factories across major manufacturing hubs to reduce production, suspend operations and place workers on leave, according to a report by The Daily Star.
The crisis, which began on July 21, has spread across several industrial belts as gas supplies remain severely constrained. The situation worsened further after Excelerate Energy’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal was shut down after exhausting its inventory on Wednesday.
With the national gas supply already under strain, a significant share of available gas is being diverted to power generation, leaving industries with inadequate supplies for boilers, production processes and captive power plants. Gas-dependent sectors including textiles, garments, steel, glass and food processing have consequently been among the worst affected.
Industrial areas that had witnessed a partial improvement in gas availability last week are once again facing severe shortages. In Narsingdi, more than 100 textile factories have reportedly suspended production over the past two days after gas pressure dropped to almost zero.
Industry representatives said gas pressure in the area had steadily declined from the normal level of around 15 pounds per square inch (PSI). It fell to between 2 and 4 PSI last week before approaching zero in recent days.
Nizam Uddin Bhuiyan, president of the Narsingdi Textile, Dyeing and Printing Association, said the district is responsible for nearly 70 per cent of Bangladesh’s clothing production, highlighting the potential economic impact of prolonged disruption.
The crisis has also severely affected garment factories in Gazipur, Narayanganj and Savar. Several factories have reportedly divided their employees into shifts in an attempt to maintain operations despite inadequate gas supplies. Factory authorities estimate that production losses have reached around 20 to 25 per cent.
The shortage is also pushing up operating costs. Generators that normally run on gas are increasingly being operated using fuel oil, with the cost of running them reportedly rising almost fivefold.
In the Bhaluka industrial area of Mymensingh, workers at around 20 factories were partially sent on leave as production slowed. Of the 293 factories operating in the industrial zone, 99 depend on gas, and almost all of these units are reportedly facing shortages.
The Bhaluka regional office of Titas Gas said pressure in the area's two gas pipelines had dropped significantly, from around 140 PSI and 50 PSI to between 30 and 50 PSI.
The disruption is creating a difficult situation for manufacturers, who continue to bear wage and other operational costs even when production is sharply reduced or halted. Delays in manufacturing and shipments are also raising concerns among exporters, with companies potentially having to resort to expensive air freight to meet delivery deadlines.
In Gazipur, factories are continuing to rotate workers between shifts to keep production moving. Industry representatives have warned that a prolonged crisis could increase the risk of labour unrest, work stoppages and protests as workers face uncertainty over employment and wages.
“It is not just garment factory owners who are suffering -- the crisis is also affecting workers and our national economy,” said Morshed Sarwar Sohel, vice-president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
The impact has also spread to major industrial and export-oriented areas around Chattogram. Factories in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone, Karnaphuli EPZ and industrial areas including Bayezid and Kalurghat are reportedly operating well below capacity because of extremely low gas pressure.
The widening disruption is raising concerns over Bangladesh’s manufacturing output, export commitments, industrial employment and overall economic activity. With industries heavily dependent on uninterrupted gas supplies, manufacturers are urging authorities to restore adequate pressure and ensure more reliable allocation of gas to production units.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
