Traffic snarls around major refueling hubs—including Hazipara, Moghbazar, and Bailey Road—were reported throughout the day. Because system pressure remains dangerously low, filling technicians require significantly longer to refuel each vehicle, causing tailbacks to spill onto primary thoroughfares. Consequently, many private vehicle owners have either switched to petrol at higher costs or opted to leave their vehicles garaged altogether.

Commercial three-wheeler drivers remain the hardest hit by the operational delays. Anwar Hossain, an auto-rickshaw driver operating around Moghbazar, explained that he spends between three and four hours daily queueing for fuel. Another driver, Raisul Islam, noted that despite paying a mandatory daily vehicle deposit of 1,200 taka to the owner, low pressure prevents him from purchasing more than 100 to 120 taka worth of gas at a time. The deficit obliges him to return to refuelling stations twice a day, drastically reducing his working hours and net earnings.

Commuters are bearing the indirect costs through inflated fares and reduced vehicle availability. Rahman Sharif, a resident of Bailey Road, mentioned that unpredictability at the pumps frequently disrupts work schedules, forcing him to rely on ride-sharing services instead of his private car.

Official metrics released by Petrobangla showed total national gas supply standing at 2,320 million cubic feet (mmcfd), comprising 1,620 mmcfd from domestic fields and 700 mmcfd from imported Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). In an effort to alleviate supply constraints, an Aramco LNG vessel, the Maran Gas Olympias, docked at the Summit Terminal early on Friday morning.

The gas shortfall has simultaneously impacted power generation. National grid statistics recorded a peak electricity demand of 15,038 MW on Friday evening against a supply of 14,660 MW, leaving a deficit of 378 MW. Earlier in the morning, supply fell short by 2,102 MW, following a midnight deficit of 2,981 MW. Power system strain was aggravated by a technical fault at Adani Power’s Godda plant in Jharkhand, India, which reduced its generation unit’s output to 754 MW against an expected 1,436 MW.

Addressing long-term supply challenges at the 15th LNG Producer-Consumer Conference 2026 in Tokyo, State Minister for Energy Anindyas Islam Amit outlined government plans to expand LNG infrastructure. These include commissioning a third Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) with a capacity of 600 mmcfd in Maheshkhali by 2028, followed by a 1,000 mmcfd land-based LNG terminal in Matarbari by 2030.