Keraniganj in Dhaka has gone without gas for seven days, leaving household stoves unusable and forcing industrial establishments and factories to close, according to the report. The prolonged disruption has increased reliance on electricity and LPG cylinders, while shortages of cylinders have also been reported in several parts of the area. The situation was observed on Thursday at Titas Gas Zone-5’s Jinjira office, where residents were gathering daily to demand service.

Residents said gas shortages have persisted in Keraniganj throughout the year, but supply has been completely absent for the past week. They alleged that illegal customers outnumber legal Titas subscribers after new legal connections were halted in 2016. The report said operations of 5,673 industrial customers have stopped. A former local women’s wing leader said residents across nine unions were using electric stoves, LPG, firewood or restaurant food, and blamed the government for the crisis.

The government-set price for a 12-kilogram private LPG cylinder is Tk1,598, but cylinders were reportedly selling for Tk1,800 to Tk2,000 in several areas. Titas manager engineer Bidhan Chandra Maitra said pressure on the Keraniganj gas line had fallen to 2, compared with usual household pressure levels, preventing supply. He also cited possible burner, regulator, pipe, leak, water and low-pressure problems, and said numerous illegal lines exist.