Gas supplies from the damaged Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) in Maheshkhali are scheduled to resume by Thursday afternoon, according to Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, the Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Thursday, 6 August, the minister provided reassurances that nationwide gas supply conditions would return to normal within two to three days.
Addressing concerns over the timeline for full recovery, the minister stated that a minimum of two to three days would be required to restore the distribution network. He assured the public that gas feed volumes would return to levels seen prior to the Maheshkhali facility’s shutdown.
The disruption at the regasification unit had severely constrained gas supply across the country, forcing several gas-fired power plants to scale down operations or shut down entirely. This shortfall triggered widespread power outages and increased load-shedding. Acknowledging the public hardship, the minister noted that while gas shortages directly affect domestic consumers, the impact on power generation remains an inevitable consequence. He added that idle power units would be brought back online as soon as gas pressure stabilised, describing the technical fault as an unfortunate and unforeseen event beyond human control.
Responding to public complaints regarding inflated or “ghost” electricity bills, the minister clarified that many complainants fail to submit their actual billing records to the relevant authorities for verification. He explained that electricity tariffs were adjusted in June, adding that despite lower average temperatures in June compared to March, household electricity consumption had risen among many consumers.
Prior to his press briefing, the minister held a bilateral meeting with the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi. Following their discussions, the energy minister revealed that Bangladesh has formally requested an increase in diesel imports from India via the existing cross-border pipeline to help strengthen national energy reserves.
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