The country’s only granular urea-producing plant, Jamuna Fertiliser Company Limited (JFCL), has finally received gas supply after remaining shut for 21 months and 8 days.
The long-awaited resumption of gas supply has brought relief to workers, employees and local residents at Tarakandi area of Sarishabari upazila in Jamalpur district.
According to JFCL sources, gas pressure at the factory was reduced on January 15 last year to ensure uninterrupted production at Ghorashal–Palash Urea Fertiliser Factory (GPFPLC) in Narsingdi. Soon after, JFCL’s gas connection was fully cut off, halting all production.
Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL) restored the gas connection on Sunday evening (23 November). However, authorities said it will take 10–15 more days to begin ammonia and urea production.
The sources also said that Jamuna Fertiliser Factory, established in 1990 and fully operated from 1991, initially produced 1,700 metric tonnes of urea daily. However, due to low gas pressure and mechanical issues, production gradually fell to about 1,400 metric tonnes.
JFCL, a KPI-1 graded facility under Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), is the only factory in the country that produces granular urea. Before the Ghorashal–Palash plant was established, it was the largest fertiliser factory in Bangladesh.
For decades, JFCL has supplied fertiliser to at least 21 districts, including Mymensingh Division, Tangail, and the greater northern region. Because of its high product quality, demand for JFCL fertiliser is consistently strong. With the factory shut, the government has been importing fertiliser at high cost with subsidies to meet regional demand.
Sources added that although production remained suspended, the government spent around Tk 15 crore every month on the factory. If operational, it could produce about 42,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser monthly, with a market value of around Tk 152 crore.
After expenses of Tk 90 crore, the factory would still generate a profit of roughly Tk 62 crore. Currently, however, the daily loss is estimated at Tk 5 crore, amounting to about Tk 3,344 crore over the 22-month shutdown. Additionally, prolonged inactivity has caused valuable machinery to rust and deteriorate.
Around 3,000 local workers who were dependent on factory operations became jobless during the closure, forcing many families into hardship. The restoration of gas supply has revived hope in the surrounding communities. However, concerns remain that powerful syndicates may exploit future mechanical faults to extract large sums under the guise of repair work.
Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, JFCL’s acting General Manager (Administration), Delwar Hossain, said over the phone, “Titas restored the gas supply on Sunday evening. It is still too early to determine the exact gas pressure. It will take 10–15 days to fully receive gas and begin production.”
ZJ/NSA
