United News of Bangladesh

Gas supply across the country has increased significantly following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s directive, and the improvement is expected to continue in the coming days, said Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Spokesperson Mahdi Amin on Wednesday. “The implementation of what the Prime Minister said began within a very short time. Gas flow has increased significantly, and we can see visible improvement in the supply situation. InshaAllah, this positive trend will continue in the coming days,” he said. Mahdi made the remarks at a press conference at the PMO, marking seven months of the government led by Tarique Rahman. He said the Prime Minister has recently held meetings with business leaders and the media personalities to address the gas supply crisis and directed the authorities to take the maximum possible steps to restore the situation based on reality and ensure that industries could resume normal operations. “The objective was to ensure that industries become fully operational again and that Bangladesh’s economy can continue on its potential and onward trajectory,” the spokesperson said. He said the government made “positive progress” in public welfare during its seven months in office, although it could not resolve all problems in such a short period. Mahdi said the government is working with specific action plans and accountability, while tackling challenges ranging from foreign debt pressures and administrative reforms to corruption-free public services, education, healthcare and strengthening Bangladesh’s position in diplomacy. “From every step, the government’s commitment to the country and its people is reflected,” he said The PMO spokesperson said the government is rebuilding Bangladesh from what he described as the “ruins” left after 17 years of the previous rule. “It is difficult to solve all problems 100 percent within just seven months. But in the current elected and accountable government, whose only source of power is the people, the highest level of sincerity and goodwill is visible in every step,” he said. Mahdi called for unity beyond political and other differences to build a prosperous, self-reliant, humane, safe and people-oriented Bangladesh. He said the government’s measures over the past month could broadly be divided into seven areas: youth empowerment, education, information technology and innovation; overall public welfare and improvement of living standards; women’s advancement, universal welfare and social protection; environment-friendly energy and climate-resilient industrialisation; modern health infrastructure and public health; transport infrastructure and traffic management; and institutional good governance, public diplomacy and foreign relations. The spokesperson highlighted the approval of a new national pay scale for government employees, ranging from Tk20,000 to Tk1.56 lakh, as one of the measures taken to improve the financial well-being of public servants. Other measures, he said, included extending institutional mobile allowances to government employees of all grades, increasing the maximum net pension of retired employees by up to 100 percent and providing a monthly allowance of Tk3,000 for their children with special needs. Mahdi said the government also withdrew the requirement for prior Finance Division approval for recruitment and renewal of outsourced manpower to speed up official activities and took steps to prevent long-term postings of officials at the same workplace in the land administration sector. He said the government passed legislation ensuring parents’ lifetime possession and use of property even after transferring ownership through donation. The spokesperson also mentioned initiatives to provide special national awards of Tk 1 lakh each to 100 meritorious teachers, increase grants to the Journalist Welfare Trust and expand programmes such as Family Card, Farmers' Card and regular government allowances for imams and muezzins. On women’s welfare, he said the government has taken an initiative to establish a joint institutional framework with an international cyber security network to prevent harassment and violence against women in cyberspace. Mahdi said plans are also being formulated to provide universal stipends to all female students in primary and secondary educational institutions and ensure nutritious food at schools. He said 20,000 tea workers in Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Habiganj will receive modern raincoats as part of measures to protect the health and safety of women working in the tea industry. On the energy sector, the spokesperson said a programme to drill 150 new gas wells nationwide has begun as a medium-term measure to address the gas crisis, with another 150 wells planned in the next phase. He said plans have been taken to increase the number of floating storage regasification units (FSRUs) from the existing two to five in phases, and efforts are underway to launch a third FSRU before 2028, if possible. The government has also given in-principle approval to import 18 LNG cargoes through direct procurement from global suppliers, Mahdi said. For long-term energy security, international financing of $1 billion has been secured for expansion of the Eastern Refinery in Chattogram, and work had begun, he said. In the power sector, the spokesperson said 1,046.73 megawatts of electricity that remained suspended from the national grid due to technical problems have been restored. He also highlighted plans for a 500MW power plant and a large fertiliser factory in Bhola, addition of 200MW of solar power to the national grid and a five-year plan to convert all diesel-powered irrigation pumps to solar energy. Mahdi said the government has taken measures to ensure uninterrupted agricultural production, including maintaining a fertiliser stock of 5.155 million metric tonnes, 1.568 million tonnes above projected demand through February. He said a central control room has also been planned to monitor fertiliser supply. The spokesperson also mentioned the return to production of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited after a six-month shutdown and initiatives to gradually reopen factories that had remained closed for various reasons. In the health sector, he said the government plans to build 15-storey specialised general hospitals in Dhaka and the country’s other eight divisional cities. Mahdi said a policy decision has been taken to operate the newly built super-specialised hospital under a modern international corporate management model. Plans are also underway to expand affordable dialysis services to every district and upazila and increase the number of beds at Bogura Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital to 1,800, he said The spokesperson mentioned the foundation-laying for an international-standard specialised burn and plastic surgery centre at Rangpur Medical College, plans for a national e-health platform and steps to restore the supply of essential medicines and modern medical equipment to community clinics. He said 19.771 million children have been vaccinated against measles and rubella across the country over the past five months, exceeding the target. Mahdi also referred to the government’s three-month nationwide dengue prevention and cleanliness campaign, which began in the presence of the Prime Minister, as part of efforts to curb the spread of dengue. He said a feasibility study and detailed design have been prepared for installing electric traction to operate electric trains on the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor. Plans are also underway to construct a four-lane uninterrupted expressway from Dhaka to the City Gate in Chattogram and extend the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar intercity express train service, Mahdi said. He also said the government directed the introduction of a fully cashless automated radio-frequency identification toll system within the next four months. Among other measures, the spokesperson mentioned plans to relocate Karwan Bazar’s wholesale kitchen market to Gabtoli and the Fulbaria bus terminal to Keraniganj to ease traffic congestion in Dhaka. On governance, he said seven leaders of what he described as the “fascist organisation” have been sentenced to death by a court for genocide-related offences, while orders have also been issued to confiscate 50 percent of the movable and immovable property of five of those sentenced to death. Mahdi said the government has also formally handed permanent appointment letters for government jobs to eligible members of 74 families of those killed in the July mass uprising. He highlighted the formation of parliamentary standing committees, regular parliamentary oversight of ministries, the decision not to use honorific terms such as “Mahamanaya” or “Mananiya” before the President and Prime Minister in official documents, and the introduction of biometric attendance at land offices in phases. Mahdi said the government has repaid $2.0476 billion, equivalent to Tk25,163 crore, in foreign loans and interest over the past five months. He also cited a 13.1 percent increase in remittances over six months, initiatives to reopen the Malaysian labour market, progress in sending Bangladeshi workers legally to Italy and Oman, and progress in trade negotiations with the European Union. The spokesperson said Bangladesh has successfully resolved 48 of 61 trade barriers identified by the EU. He also mentioned a bilateral investment protection and promotion agreement with Hong Kong, financing of up to £2 billion under UK Export Finance for infrastructure development and procurement, and $1 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to Nepal following severe floods. On defence and aviation, Mahdi said the government has begun the final process of procuring 20 J-10C fourth-generation fighter aircraft from China and is taking steps to equip the Border Guard Bangladesh with surveillance drones. On fuel prices, the spokesperson said diesel is comparatively cheaper in Bangladesh than in many other countries, particularly neighbouring countries. He said the government was providing a high level of subsidy on fuel to prevent additional pressure on the people. At the briefing, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibly and Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon also highlighted various public welfare measures taken by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. PM’s Speechwriter ASM Mahfuzur Rahman, Deputy Press Secretaries Jahidul Islam Rony and Md Suzauddhowla, Assistant Press Secretaries Md Nazmul Haque Khan, Abdullah Al Mahmud Shahriar,, Asrofa Emdad, Media Coordinator Tariqul Islam and PM’s physician ANM Manowarul Kadir Bitu, among others, were present at the briefing.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday sought support from business leaders and the media in implementing the government’s plans to address the country’s power and energy challenges, saying the government should be given an opportunity to execute its plans without instability during its tenure. He also hoped that gas supply to industries will return to its previous level from Tuesday evening. Speaking at a three-hour view-exchange meeting with business leaders and media personalities at his office at the Bangladesh Secretariat, the Prime Minister warned that any instability in the country could hurt business, trade and the economy, said Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu. “The people will decide at the appropriate time whom they want to entrust with running the government. But whichever government is in office at a given time should be allowed to complete its planned work,” he said. Describing the current crisis in the power and energy sector as a problem inherited by the government, Tarique Rahman said it will not be possible to resolve it fully within six months or a year. “But we have identified the problems, prepared plans and are now at the stage of implementing those plans,” he said. The Prime Minister said the government is working according to specific timelines to restore normalcy in power and energy supplies. “If we can implement these plans, not only business and trade but the overall economy will benefit,” he said. “We hope, Insha-Allah, from tomorrow evening the gas supply will return to something like the level it was at one to one and a half months ago,” Tarique Rahman added. State Minister for Power and Energy Aninda Islam Amit made a presentation titled “Challenges and Future Roadmap of Bangladesh’s Power and Energy Sector” at the meeting. Explaining the current gas crisis, the Prime Minister said gas supplies were disrupted after an accident at one of the country’s two floating LNG terminals, affecting industries and other sectors. He said the problem caused by the accident has already been resolved. Tarique Rahman said the government is also taking steps to install a third floating LNG terminal to address the supply shortfall. He said preparations for the installation of another terminal on a government-to-government basis were largely completed over the past month and work on it will begin soon. The government expects to connect the third terminal to the gas supply system by December 2027, the Prime Minister said. He said the problems in the power sector are also longstanding. After taking office, the government reviewed the problems, held discussions with the relevant stakeholders and prepared plans to address them, Tarique Rahman said, adding that implementation of those plans is now underway. “Planning for anything and implementing it takes time. This problem in energy and power has been inherited. It is not possible to solve it within six months or a year simply by wishing to do so,” he said. The government also presented business leaders with tentative timelines for completing various planned initiatives. The Prime Minister said the timelines could shift slightly during implementation, but the government has a clear plan and timeframe before it. Seeking cooperation from the business community, he said any damage to business and industry will have an overall impact on the country’s economy. “So, solving the power and energy problem is not only a matter of interest for the business community. It is linked to the overall economic progress of the country,” Tarique Rahman said.  

The LNG terminal operated by Excelerate Energy at Moheshkhali which remained out of service for the past two weeks due to a technical fault has resumed operation. Dr. Rafiqul Islam, member (operation) Petrobangla said  around 115 mmcfd gas is being supplied today after the resumption of operation of Floating Storage and Regasification unit (FSRU). The gas supply will increase by 750 to 800 mmcfd by tonight, he added. The gas crisis began after LNG imports through the Excelerate Energy terminal were suspended on July 21 due to a technical fault. The disruption significantly reduced LNG regasification capacity, as Bangladesh has been relying on only one operational FSRU for imports since another terminal remained out of service. Petrobangla officials said another LNG cargo has already arrived in Bangladeshi waters and is expected to begin unloading from Friday, allowing the terminal to supply between 20 million and 30 million cubic feet of gas per day.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit on Monday once again apologised to the public for the ongoing gas crisis, expressing hope that supply will begin to improve from next week, with full restoration expected about a week later. Speaking to reporters at his office at the Secretariat, he said the government is making every possible effort to resolve the crisis, which has severely affected households, industries and transport services. "We know homemakers are struggling to cook, industries have had to scale back production, and pressure on CNG stations has disrupted public transport. We sincerely apologise to the people for the hardship," the state minister said. He said the disruption was not caused by any government agency but stemmed from a problem involving a private operator responsible for ensuring part of the country's gas supply. "We are working jointly with them around the clock. We cannot provide an immediate solution due to certain limitations. However, our teams are working 24/7 with the company, and we hope the situation will start improving from next week, InshaAllah," Amit said. Referring to the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in Moheshkhali of Cox’s Bazar where the technical fault occurred, he said the facility normally supplies around 500 to 550 million cubic feet of gas per day. According to information provided by the operator, the state minister said, the FSRU is expected to resume supplying around 280 to 300 million cubic feet of gas per day to the national grid from next week. "If they can restore about 50 percent of the supply next week, the plan is to return to 100 percent capacity in the following week," he added.  

Gas supply will remain suspended for eight hours in several areas of Dhaka on Tuesday as Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited are set to carry out pipeline replacement work. According to a notice issued by the company on Monday, gas supply will remain shut from 12:00pm to 8:00pm in the Free School Street, Bhuter Goli, Kitchen Road, Al Amin Road and Kathalbagan areas. The suspension will affect both residential and commercial consumers, it said. Titas Gas said the disruption is necessary to replace old leaking distribution pipelines and service lines in the Free School Street, Hatirpool, Pukurpar and Dhanmondi areas. The company also warned that consumers in surrounding areas may experience low gas pressure during the maintenance work. It apologised for the temporary inconvenience to be caused for customers and sought their cooperation during the scheduled maintenance.

Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution PLC suspended gas supply to the capital's Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and adjacent areas on Sunday following damage to one of its pipelines. In a notice, the state-run gas distributor said a gas line was damaged in Gulshan-Badda Link Road area, prompting authorities to shut valves as a precautionary measure to prevent casualties and property loss. Repair works are underway at the affected sections of the pipeline, the company said. Titas did not specify when supply would be restored but expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to residents of the affected areas.  

Gas supply to the national grid resumed on Monday morning from Well No. 3 of the Rashidpur gas field in Bahubal upazila of Habiganj, following renovation work. Surman Bikash Das, deputy general manager of Rashidpur Gas Field, said around 8 million cubic feet of gas will be supplied daily from the well. Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) began the renovation of the decades-old well on July 12, completing the work at a cost of approximately Tk 73 crore. Titas cuts off 2,370 illegal gas connections in 3 cities Following this, a new gas layer was discovered on September 5. Officials estimate the newly accessed layer could yield about 25.55 billion cubic feet of gas over the next 10 years. Condensate will also be extracted as a by-product. Currently, an average of 62 million cubic feet of gas is being supplied daily to the national grid from 7 of the 11 wells in the Rashidpur gas field.    

Industries will get an additional gas supply of 250 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) from the existing system. Energy Adviser Dr. Fouzul Kabir Khan announced this after a meeting with the leaders of the business sector at his office in the Power and Energy Ministry on Wednesday. He said 150 mmcfd gas will be curtailed from the power sector while 100 mmcfd will be added from the import of four extra LNG cargoes. The power sector is currently getting 1200 mmcfd gas from Petrobangla. He admitted that this step will lead to a decline in power generation. “But we will run more liquid fuel-based power plants to increase the power generation,” he told reporters after the meeting. He also noted that the government will take measures to increase the gas supply through enhancement of local production and import. “We’ll import four more LNG cargoes in addition to the existing annual plan,” he said. Currently, Petrobangla supplies a total of about 2740 mmcfd of gas through production from local fields and imported LNG. Push-ins must follow formal channels: Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Of this, about 1,700 mmcfd gas comes from local fields and the remaining 1000 mmcfd comes from imported LNG. The adviser said that the meeting took a number of decisions including that Titas Gas and industrial investors’ leaders will set up a joint taskforce to oversee and check the illegal use of gas by industries. Besides, the government and industry leaders will identify the industrial areas to increase the gas supply. He said the government has been drilling 100 wells which will add about 500 mmcfd gas in the next two years. Former FBCCI president AK Azad led the business leaders’ delegation.

Vast areas in the capital and its outskirts may experience low pressure in gas supply for 12 hours from Wednesday to Thursday. According to Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution PLC, due to urgent maintenance work at its Aminbazar DRS, there may be low gas pressure from 6 pm  on Wednesday (April 2) to 6 am on Thursday (April 3) at in the areas in Dhaka Metropolitan including Aminbazar, Mirpur, both sides of Mirpur Road, Shyamoli, Adabor, Agargaon, Mohammadpur, Lalmatia, Dhanmondi, Hazaribagh, Kamrangirchar, Keraniganj (from Kholamura to Kalatia, Hazratpur), Hatirpool, Farmgate, Azimpur, New Market, Lalbagh, Shahbagh, and surrounding areas. Consumers may face low gas pressure in Dhaka Tuesday, Wednesday The similar low pressure will prevail in Savar and Hemayetpur areas in the outskirts of the capital. The authorities sincerely apologise for the temporary inconvenience, said the Titas Gas PLC.

Gas supply will remain suspended for 8 hours in the northern part of Dhaka on Thursday. According to Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution PLC, gas supply will remain off to all types of customers in Nikunja-1, Nikunja-2, Khilkhet area, Concord City (up to the riverbank), Namapara, and the surrounding areas will remain suspended for a total of eight hours from 6 am to 2 pm on Thursday for the removal of underground gas pipelines for MRT Line-1. Gas supply to remain off for 6 hours in parts of capital on Sunday The consumers in the adjoining areas may experience low pressure in gas supply during this period, said Titas Gas, regretting to its customers for the temporary inconvenience.