No gas, more costs for Dhaka families

Households pay regular bills while turning to costly alternatives

CNG drivers lose hours and income

Millions of Titas Gas customers across the capital are struggling with a severe shortage of residential gas, with many households reporting little or no supply despite continuing to pay their monthly bills in full.

Residents say the shortage is forcing them to spend more on alternative cooking fuels, including LPG, electricity and firewood, adding significantly to household expenses.

Shirin Sharmin, a resident of West Rampura, told this correspondent yesterday that gas supply in her area had virtually disappeared over the past two months.

“I have lived in this house since 2016, and I have never seen a crisis this severe,” she said.

“We have to pay the bill even when there’s no gas, and on top of that, our electricity bill has multiplied because we now depend on it so much more.

If the power also goes out, we are left with no way to cook at all.
We are in crisis from every direction.”

Tahmina Ahmed, a housewife in East Razabazar, told The New Nation that gas is barely available at the stove for most of the day, forcing her family to cook in the early hours or late at night.

With piped gas unavailable, many households have turned to LPG cylinders, rice cookers, electric burners and clay stoves using firewood.

The shortage is placing an additional financial burden on families, who continue to pay regular gas bills while also covering the cost of alternative fuels. Some households have had to make one-off purchases of rice cookers, induction stoves, LPG cylinders and burners, while also facing recurring electricity and LPG costs.

“We’re not getting gas service, but we still have to pay for cylinders and extra electricity – both at once,” one affected resident said. “If they can’t provide the service, they should at least stop charging for it.”

The gas shortage has also affected Dhaka’s CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers, many of whom say they are spending several hours a day waiting at filling stations, reducing the time available for earning fares.

This correspondent visited several CNG filling stations across the capital from Friday morning to early afternoon and observed long queues of vehicles waiting to refuel.

Drivers said low gas pressure at some stations was making the process slower and extending waiting times.

Many drivers said they sometimes have to refuel twice a day, further reducing their passenger trips and earnings.

Imrul, a CNG driver operating in the Moghbazar area, said he spends three to four hours a day waiting for gas and often receives only a limited amount.
Another driver, Mohsin, said he pays Tk1,200 a day to the vehicle owner.

He said he sometimes waits three to four hours but, because of low pressure, receives only Tk100-120 worth of gas, or even less.

After driving for three or four hours, he said, he often has to return to a filling station.

“Our income has dropped. It has become difficult to run our households,” he said.

Drivers have called for urgent government action to restore adequate gas supply and pressure at CNG stations and reduce the long queues.

Government focuses on long-term supply
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said the government is prioritising increased domestic gas production, new LNG terminals and intensified exploration to address the shortage and prevent disruptions to industry.

He made the remarks in Parliament on Wednesday in response to a starred question from ruling party lawmaker Sultana Ahmed.

The Prime Minister said the government plans to drill 150 wells and conduct 2D seismic surveys covering 4,500 square kilometres and 3D surveys covering 4,200 square kilometres by 2030-31.

He also said international tenders were invited on May 24 for oil and gas exploration and extraction in 26 offshore blocks in the deep and shallow seas, with November set as the deadline for submission of bids.

Tarique Rahman has separately apologised to the public over the continuing power and gas shortages, saying the government was taking urgent measures to ease the crisis and expressing hope that the situation would improve significantly in the coming days.