A severe nationwide gas shortage is worsening load-shedding and disrupting daily life and industrial production in Bangladesh, according to a report published on August 14. Power plants, factories and fertilizer facilities are not receiving gas in line with demand. The Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said gas supplied to power plants, despite an increase, remains 60 percent below demand. On Thursday, electricity supply was 3,500 megawatts short of demand.

Gas-fired power plants have capacity of slightly more than 12,000 megawatts, but even with additional gas they supplied at most 5,000 megawatts to the national grid on Thursday. Gas is being diverted from industries to power plants, yet load-shedding has not been eliminated. BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem said 70 percent of member factories reported gas and electricity problems. Ashuganj Fertilizer and Chemical Company has remained fully shut for a long time, with officials reporting losses exceeding Tk100 crore a month.

Households in Brahmanbaria and Cumilla have turned to clay stoves, cylinders and other fuels as cooking gas supplies failed. Residents in rural Sunamganj alleged power is unavailable for 17 hours a day. Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud said load-shedding management and waiting were the only options until floating LNG terminals are repaired, while the government has initiated plans for three more LNG terminals.