BGMEA, BKMEA seek CNG access for factories
Bangladesh’s leading garment exporters have urged the government to allow export-oriented factories to collect compressed natural gas (CNG) from filling stations as an acute gas shortage disrupts industrial production and threatens shipment schedules.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) made separate appeals on Tuesday, requesting temporary permission to procure gas through cylinders from CNG stations until the supply situation improves.
The requests came after Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company instructed CNG filling stations to stop selling natural gas into open cylinders or gas cascade cylinders not mounted on authorised vehicles, citing safety risks and violations of the Gas Act 2010 and Gas Distribution Rules 2026.
In its directive issued on 27 July, Titas said supplying gas to unauthorised cylinders was illegal and posed serious safety risks. It asked filling station operators to immediately stop the practice.
BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said the gas crisis had severely affected garment factories, with many industrial units facing zero gas pressure and struggling to maintain production and meet export deadlines.
The association said the shutdown of an Excelerate Energy-operated floating LNG terminal in Moheshkhali had reduced gas supply to industries, causing production disruptions.
Meanwhile, BKMEA said its president discussed the issue with the Energy and Mineral Resources Division and received assurances that gas collection from CNG stations for export-oriented factories would continue, subject to safety requirements and government instructions.
The ongoing gas shortage follows a fire at the Moheshkhali FSRU that disrupted around 450-500 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas supply, affecting households, industries, CNG stations and gas-fired power plants across the country. The government has taken steps to restore the terminal and bring the supply situation back to normal.
