A severe gas crisis in Chattogram has left many household stoves unlit during the day, forcing some families to cook in the afternoon or late night and others to rely on restaurant meals.
Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company (KGDCL) sources said daily gas demand in Chattogram is about 350 million cubic feet, while supply was around 200 million cubic feet at the start of the crisis and has dropped further since the beginning of August.
Residents and drivers reported severe disruption: Ishrat Jahan of Askar Dighir Par said her family has had no fixed meal time for a week, and auto-rickshaw driver Mohammad Farhad Alam said he now waits up to four hours in line for CNG.
KGDCL sources said industrial production at the Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Factory and other large plants has fallen by 35 to 50 percent, with some factories operating below half capacity.
Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Amirul Haque said the industrial sector is the hardest hit, with some factories temporarily halting production, affecting export orders and delivery schedules.
A fire and technical fault on July 21 at the floating LNG terminal in Maheshkhali reduced national gas supply by about half, and gas is being diverted to Dhaka, according to KGDCL and energy division sources.
KGDCL general manager Md. Tajuddin Dali said the national grid is not supplying gas as per demand, rationing is being attempted, and the situation worsened after August 1 despite expectations of partial recovery.
According to the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, the operator of the damaged floating LNG terminal has requested until August 10 to complete repairs, suggesting the crisis may persist.