Thousands of families across Dhaka are struggling with an increasingly severe natural gas shortage, forcing many residents to cook late at night when gas pressure temporarily improves.
Titas Gas authorities have warned that the situation could deteriorate further over the next two to three years, with some areas potentially facing the gradual phase-out of residential pipeline gas if current supply trends continue.
According to Titas Gas, more than 28 lakh residential consumers rely on its distribution network. While a few areas, including parts of Gulshan, continue to receive comparatively better service, most areas of the capital experience little or no gas supply for much of the day. Even gas shortage is reportedly acute in the residential building of Members of Parliament, NAM. In this regard, a letter was also sent to Titas Gas from the Parliament Secretariat.
City dwellers stay up late to cook amid gas crisis
Many families in the capital are being forced to stay awake late into the night to cook due to a persistent gas shortage. A homemaker in Mohammadpur said that as there is little or no gas supply during the day, she has to finish all the family’s cooking when gas becomes available at night.
Similarly, many residents complained that they have been paying their gas bills regularly despite receiving an inadequate gas supply for months.
Demand outpaces supply
Titas Gas estimates that Dhaka’s residential, commercial, industrial and CNG stations require around 18 crore cubic feet of gas per day, while current supply stands at approximately 16.80 crore cubic feet, creating a persistent supply gap.
Gas inflow into Dhaka through major transmission routes, including Aminbazar, Tongi, Demra and Kadamtali, has reportedly declined by 20-30 per cent, further worsening the crisis.
Industrial areas also affected
The shortage is extending beyond households. Industrial zones in Gazipur, Konabari, Chandara, Savar, Ashulia, Manikganj and Rupganj are experiencing reduced gas pressure, forcing many factories to operate below capacity and affecting production.
Falling domestic gas production
The primary reason behind the crisis is the decline in domestic natural gas production. According to Petrobangla data, average daily gas production from the country’s domestic gas fields declined from 1.809 billion cubic feet (bcf) last year to 1.607 bcf during the January-June period of this year.
Meanwhile, gas supply across the country has also continued to decline. As of June 2026, total daily gas supply stood at 2.569 bcf, a significant drop compared with the previous few years.
Govt scraps two gas projects worth Tk15,000 crore
The government has cancelled two gas sector projects worth nearly Tk15,000 crore, citing the likelihood of reduced reliance on piped gas in the future.
The scrapped projects included the installation of 1.75 million prepaid gas meters and the construction of nearly 2,700 kilometres of new gas pipelines in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur.
According to officials at Titas Gas, the projects were shelved as part of the government’s plan to gradually phase down piped gas supply to the residential sector.
Govt shifts focus to LPG
Government is planning major investments in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) sector. New LPG bottling plants are planned in Mongla and Elenga, alongside a 12-lakh-tonne annual capacity land-based LPG terminal at Matarbari and another large LPG storage and distribution facility at Chattogram’s Bay Terminal.
Bangladesh currently consumes around 1.60 lakh tonnes of LPG per month, with the private sector supplying the vast majority of the market. Through these new investments, the government aims to strengthen public-sector participation and increase competition in the LPG industry.
