A severe shortage of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) across Dhaka has pushed commercial drivers to the brink of financial collapse, stranding thousands of auto-rickshaws and private cars in endless queues. Day after day, drivers spend their most productive hours lined up outside filling stations only to leave empty-handed. The crippling deficit has not only devastated daily earnings but has also triggered a cascade of secondary problems, forcing drivers to borrow money to pay vehicle rental fees whilst leaving commuters struggling to find transport across the capital.
A visit on Monday, 17 August, to major hubs including Uttara, Abdullahpur, Airport, Khilkhet, Badda, Rampura, Mirpur, and Gabtoli revealed long tailbacks of vehicles stretching from filling station forecourts at dawn.
For many drivers, the inability to secure fuel means their daily income has virtually vanished. Yet fixed expenses remain entirely unyielding. Vehicle owners still demand their daily rental dues, house rents fall due, and families require feeding. To survive, some drivers have resorted to taking out high-interest loans or drawing on microfinance installments simply to pay the vehicle owners.
Expressing his despair, auto-rickshaw driver Md Mona recounted waiting in line since 4:00 am without receiving any gas. To keep his vehicle, he was forced to pay the owner using money borrowed from an installment loan. Another driver, Jahangir, explained the tight margins under which they operate. With daily vehicle rental costs standing at 1,200 taka and fuel costing around 500 taka, a driver needs to earn at least 2,000 taka a day to cover living expenses. Jahangir noted that his income had been severely disrupted for nearly two months. Private car driver Sanaullah echoed these anxieties, warning that prolonged shortages would drive thousands of families into utter destitution unless the government intervenes swiftly.
Filling station operators attribute the crisis to a drastic drop in national grid pressure. Station managers explained that when line pressure falls below a critical threshold, automated valves cannot operate, bringing dispensing operations to a complete standstill. Operators at facilities such as MA Masud Filling Station, Akij CNG Station, and Zaman Station reported that while pressure occasionally picks up slightly late at night, daytime operations have remained virtually suspended.
Government officials and energy sector sources confirmed that the supply disruption stems from scheduled maintenance at the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Maheshkhali. The maintenance work temporarily delayed offloading operations, reducing input into the national gas grid and creating a deficit that hit domestic households, industrial units, and CNG stations simultaneously. Authorities have assured the public that maintenance is near completion and normal supply levels should be restored within days.
Comments