Authorities from Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company conducted a raid in Sonargaon municipality’s Khasnagar and Bhabanathpur areas of Narayanganj, disconnecting illegal gas connections at two unauthorized lime and casting factories. The operation, led by Senior Assistant Secretary Milton Roy from the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, took place from morning to noon on Tuesday. Factory owners fled upon learning of the raid. Officials said the factories had been illegally using gas worth around 2 million taka per month. Acting on secret information, a mobile court demolished the factories using excavators and seized pipes and other equipment used for the illegal connections. Titas Gas officials stated that the illegal operations had been running under political protection since August 5 and vowed to continue similar drives to prevent theft of government resources.