Bangladesh is grappling with a fresh wave of severe gas shortages following a sharp decline in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) imports, driven by procurement irregularities, political lobbying, and management failures. After enduring an excruciating 27-day fuel deficit, the country enjoyed merely a single day of reprieve before supply chains collapsed once more due to the non-arrival of scheduled LNG cargoes.
With reserves at Excelerate Energy’s floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) dropping near zero, gas pressure has plunged across industrial hubs, CNG refuelling stations, and domestic households. To contain the mounting emergency, the government convened an urgent meeting on Monday night, approving the emergency procurement of two spot-market LNG cargoes.
According to officials from Petrobangla and the Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL), the absence of incoming vessels has crippled regasification operations. Excelerate Energy’s floating terminal is currently supplying a mere 50 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to the national grid. Combined with Summit Group’s FSRU, total LNG regasification stood at just 536 mmcfd at noon on Monday. This was augmented by 1,605 mmcfd from domestic gas fields, leaving national supplies far short of demand.
Energy sector insiders revealed that several LNG shipments had previously been procured through direct purchase methods driven by political influence rather than competitive bidding. The suppliers involved subsequently failed to deliver the fuel according to schedule, precipitating the current supply disruption.
A senior Petrobangla official warned that Excelerate Energy’s terminal would run entirely dry within 24 hours. The official added that if the cargo scheduled for 23 August fails to dock on time, the energy crisis will deepen further across the country.
The supply shortage is already battering industrial production, crippling public transport reliant on compressed natural gas, and leaving households without cooking gas. A widespread depression brought cloudy skies and rainfall across Bangladesh on Monday, temporarily curbing electricity demand. This allowed the power sector to manage grid stability by generating between 13,000 and 13,500 megawatts, keeping nation-wide load shedding around 500 megawatts for most of the day—a figure that would have soared under normal weather conditions.
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