Gas Lines Paralysing Transport Sector in Chattogram as Incomes Plunge

An acute crisis in compressed natural gas (CNG) supplies has brought the public transport network in Chattogram to a near standstill, leaving commercial drivers stranded in administrative queues for hours on end and severely eroding their daily earnings. The shortage has created a chaotic ripple effect across the port city, leaving commuters stranded, driving up transport fares, and pushing thousands of transport workers into financial distress.

For auto-rickshaw driver Abu Taher, the daily routine of plying the streets to earn a livelihood has transformed into an exhausting test of endurance. Positioned outside the Paharika CNG Filling Station in the city’s Akbar Shah district since 4:00 am, Mr Taher had already lost five prime working hours by mid-morning, having spent the previous night sleeping in his vehicle. Under standard conditions, drivers work 10 to 12 hours a day to meet the fixed daily rental fee owed to vehicle owners while retaining a modest sum for household expenses. With half their working hours now spent stationary at refuelling stations, drivers are finding it virtually impossible to meet these basic targets.

The crisis spans the entire spectrum of gas-powered transport, including mini-buses, microbuses, and auto-rickshaws. Outside prominent refuelling hubs across the city—including the Fossil station at Sholashahar and several outlets in Pahartali—lines of commercial vehicles stretch for kilometres. Drivers who previously required 20 to 30 minutes to refill their tanks are now waiting up to eight hours, often receiving insufficient pressure to complete a full day’s work. Mohammad Abul Kashem, an auto-rickshaw driver, revealed that after waiting eight hours for a partial fill, his gas ran out after merely two hours on the road. Similarly, Md Nahid, who operates a mini-bus on the Chattogram–Fatehabad route, saw his daily earnings fall from a typical 1,500–2,000 BDT to just 600 BDT, forcing many drivers to borrow money or charge inflated fares to make ends meet.

The immediate catalyst for the emergency was an outbreak of fire on 21 July at Excelerate Energy’s Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) off the coast of Maheshkhali. The facility’s sudden shutdown drastically curtailed the volume of regasified liquefied natural gas (LNG) entering the national grid, causing severe pressure drops across the distribution network in eastern Bangladesh.

Data from the Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL) highlights the scale of the deficit. The utility received only 190 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) against a normal urban requirement of approximately 350 mmcfd—leaving an unfulfilled shortfall of 160 mmcfd. Under ordinary circumstances, KGDCL supplies roughly 150 mmcfd to power stations, 90 mmcfd to industrial units, 60 mmcfd to domestic households, and 50 mmcfd to the CNG sector. With reduced overall pressure, all consumer categories are receiving rationed supplies, leaving CNG stations operating well below capacity.

A senior KGDCL official, speaking anonymously, stated that distribution is strictly adhering to lowered quotas issued by Petrobangla. Specialist engineering teams are actively carrying out repair work on the Maheshkhali floating terminal. Utility authorities remain hopeful that once the terminal is brought back online, national grid pressures will recover and gas supplies across Chattogram will gradually return to normal by the end of the week.