The government has decided to introduce gas rationing at CNG stations to address an intensifying energy shortage and sustain industrial and commercial production in Bangladesh. The decision was made at a second consultation meeting with private-sector entrepreneurs chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Entrepreneurs will also be allowed to transport gas from Bhola gas fields to their factories by truck under their own arrangements, subject to required approvals.

Bangladesh Bank and the Energy and Mineral Resources Division have been assigned to implement time-based allocation of gas supplied through CNG stations for industrial and commercial purposes. The government expects gas saved through limits or temporary closures at CNG stations to be redirected to factories and power generation. The source says industrial output has been disrupted, while transport operators have faced long waits at filling stations and households have experienced unreliable gas stoves.

Business leaders welcomed the measures as potentially helpful, while calling for broader solutions. DCCI President Taskin Ahmed urged diversified LNG sources, stronger storage capacity and faster domestic exploration. BGMEA proposed prioritising gas connections for garments and textiles and shifting gas from gas-fired power plants to oil-fired plants for industrial use.