Angry CNG-powered auto-rickshaw drivers staged a road blockade on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Trishal, Mymensingh, demanding an uninterrupted supply of natural gas to run their vehicles.
The demonstration began around 10:30 am on Wednesday (2 September), when driver groups halted their vehicles at the Kakchor Road intersection. The protest effectively paralyzed traffic along the eastern lane of the major artery for roughly half an hour, leaving commuters stranded and triggering severe hardship for regional passengers.
Drivers at the scene voiced frustration over persistent low gas pressure and lengthy waits at filling stations across the upazila. Many reported spending several hours in queues only to receive a fraction of the gas required for regular operation. According to protesting drivers, a single refuelling session yields barely enough compressed natural gas to complete one or two short trips before the tank runs empty, making it nearly impossible to earn a daily livelihood.
Sub-Inspector Taleb of Trishal Police Station confirmed the temporary disruption, stating that law enforcement moved swiftly alongside Traffic Inspector Saiful Islam to clear the obstruction. Officers managed to persuade the drivers to lift the blockade by 11:00 am, successfully restoring normal traffic flow along the vital transport corridor.
The brief demonstration highlights a growing national issue surrounding compressed natural gas supplies across Bangladesh. Over recent months, severe gas pressure shortages have plagued refuelling points in key industrial and suburban districts. Filling stations frequently report inadequate line pressure, which dramatically slows down the pumping process and forces commercial drivers into agonizingly long waits. Because CNG auto-rickshaws remain a primary mode of affordable public transit in peri-urban areas like Trishal, operational disruptions immediately ripple through local supply chains and daily commuter travel.
Although traffic has resumed its regular pace along the highway, drivers warned that recurring supply shortages need a long-term solution from energy authorities if further public road disruptions are to be avoided.
