Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said Bangladesh may need about two years to build the infrastructure required for a lasting exit from its ongoing gas crisis. Speaking to journalists after a workshop in Sylhet on Saturday afternoon, he acknowledged that gas shortages are disrupting production at industrial factories and said infrastructure development was essential for a permanent solution.

Muktadir said mills and factories across the country were suffering from the gas shortage and that the situation could not be denied. He said the current government had inherited the crisis rather than created it. According to the minister, the government is working beyond conventional approaches to address the energy shortage, while seeking time to establish the necessary infrastructure.

He said the government was also working on emergency measures alongside long-term construction. On possible LNG imports from Malaysia, Muktadir said Malaysia's smaller ships were currently deployed elsewhere, limiting the ability to bring gas quickly. He said the government was nevertheless trying to determine whether temporary steps could bring some improvement to the situation.