Gas shortage paralyses public life in Chattogram

A severe gas crisis has brought public life in Chattogram to a near standstill, with long queues at CNG stations, fewer vehicles on the roads and households unable to cook for much of the day.

At CNG filling stations across the city - including Oxygen, Bahaddarhat, Agrabad, Karnaphuli, Halishahar, Baklia, Chandgaon and Patenga - long lines of vehicles formed from late at night. 

Many drivers waited until morning or noon only to receive Tk200–Tk300 worth of gas. As a result, the number of CNG-powered auto-rickshaws and buses on the roads has dropped sharply. 

Passengers face hours-long waits, and there are allegations that some public transport operators are charging double or triple the normal fares.

CNG auto-rickshaw driver Ashraf Uddin said he queued all night at an Oxygen filling station and received only Tk 300 worth of gas in the morning. 

“Even the owner’s deposit cannot be recovered by driving with this amount of gas,” he said.

The shortage rises from a fire on July 21 at an LNG terminal operated by Accelerate Energy in Maheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar, which disrupted supply to the national grid. 

Although alternative terminals are now operating, the volume remains far below demand.

According to Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL), only 190 million cubic feet of gas was received on Sunday against a daily requirement of about 350 million cubic feet. 

The shortfall has hit the residential, industrial and CNG sectors.

Transport operators estimate that more than half of CNG-powered vehicles have been unable to operate. Office-goers, students and patients have been among the worst affected. 

Sabina Yasmin, a private school teacher travelling from Gate No. 2 to New Market, said she waited more than an hour without finding an empty CNG auto-rickshaw and eventually used a combination of tempo and rickshaw, arriving late for work.

At Agrabad intersection, student Mohammad Shakil said overcrowding on buses forced him to take a CNG auto-rickshaw for Tk 150 to reach MES College on Zakir Hossain Road.

Households are also struggling. Many families cannot cook for most of the day and either wait for late-night supply or rely on hotel food. 

Afroza Swapna of Khatib Hat in Bahaddarhat said there had been no gas at home for two days, leaving her family in difficulty and dependent on restaurant meals.

Some eateries have seen a rise in sales. A restaurant worker in Barapole, Halishahar, said reduced home cooking due to the gas shortage had increased demand at their shop.

The crisis continues to disrupt both daily commuting and domestic routines across the city.