Staff Correspondent 

Bangladesh's ongoing gas crisis is unlikely to ease anytime soon, as reduced liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply continues to disrupt distribution across the country. Authorities say low gas pressure and supply shortages in Dhaka and several other areas are expected to persist for at least the next few days.

According to Petrobangla sources, the floating LNG terminal operated by Excelerate Energy at Maheshkhali in Cox's Bazar has yet to resume operations. Gas supply has remained disrupted since a fire broke out at the terminal last Tuesday. Although local and international technical teams are working to repair the damaged facilities, officials have not provided a timeline for the terminal's full restoration.

Residents in areas including Kalabagan, Mohammadpur, Kafrul, Kazipara, West Tejturi Bazar, and Badda are experiencing severe gas shortages. In some neighborhoods, gas pressure is extremely low, while others have no supply at all, forcing many households to cook using electric or traditional clay stoves.

Bangladesh currently imports LNG through two floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) at Maheshkhali. One is operated by U.S.-based Excelerate Energy and the other by Summit. The fire damaged a boiler at the Excelerate terminal, significantly reducing the volume of gas being supplied to the national grid.

Petrobangla Director (Operations and Mines) Md. Rafiqul Islam said technical teams are working continuously to restore the terminal but that more time will be required. He added that it is not yet possible to specify when normal operations will resume.

Petrobangla estimates the country's daily gas demand at around 3.8 billion cubic feet. Even under normal conditions, average supply stood at about 2.7 billion cubic feet per day. Since the terminal was shut down, daily supply has fallen to below 2.15 billion cubic feet.

The gas shortage has also affected electricity generation, with gas-fired power production declining by approximately 1,500 megawatts. Industrial factories, CNG filling stations, and residential consumers are also facing significant disruptions, while long queues have formed at many CNG stations.

Petrobangla has apologized to consumers for the inconvenience, saying that both domestic and foreign experts are working to restore the damaged terminal as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution PLC warned that customers within its service areas will continue to experience low gas pressure until the situation improves.

Energy expert Professor M. Tamim said the country's gas sector had long suffered from a mismatch between supply and demand. The shutdown of one LNG terminal has exposed that structural weakness. He noted that the current crisis could have been largely avoided if adequate backup infrastructure had been developed.