Moheshkhali gas facility fire worsens Bangladesh shortages, idles garment factories

A fire at a gas storage and regasification facility in Moheshkhali has worsened Bangladesh’s chronic gas shortage, disrupting supplies to households, transport operators, power generators and factories. It struck one of the country’s two storage and regasification units on July 22. Bangladesh had already been experiencing long-running energy shortages before the incident.

Bangladesh imports about 30 percent of its natural gas requirements. Sources at state-run energy company Petrobangla said demand was around 3.8 billion cubic feet per day. Daily supply had already fallen to about 2.7 billion cubic feet during the previous year. It dropped further to approximately 2.15 billion cubic feet per day after the fire.

Md Rafiqul Islam of Petrobangla said the company did not know when supplies would return to normal.

In Dhaka, NGO worker Jubaida Anjum Saba said her household had received no cooking gas since July 22. She said she had alternated between an induction cooker and a clay oven and was arranging firewood to prepare meals for her extended family of 10.

Queues also returned at vehicle-fuel stations. Ride-hailing company Obhai said drivers of gas-powered auto-rickshaws had complained about the time required to refill their vehicles.

The disruption is also expected to affect electricity generation because much of Bangladesh’s power supply depends on gas.

Factories in the country’s readymade garment export industry were among the most severely affected.

Mohammad Hatem, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said dozens of factories were idle because they lacked gas.

Factory owners said they depended heavily on their own gas-powered generators because unreliable grid electricity and voltage fluctuations could damage machinery.

Hatem said factory power plants had been almost idle for 10 days. He warned that continued disruption would delay shipments and reduce profits.