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Sonargaon faces acute CNG gas shortage
Published : Thursday, 23 July, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Observer Staff Correspondent
File Photo
A severe gas shortage has disrupted operations at CNG filling stations in Sonargaon, leaving hundreds of CNG-powered vehicles stranded in long queues and causing significant hardship for drivers, passengers and station operators. Of the 20 CNG filling stations along the Sonargaon stretch of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, gas supply has been suspended at 18, while only two stations are operating with limited supply.
The shortage, which began on Thursday morning, forced drivers to wait for hours in the hope of refuelling. Many were unable to obtain sufficient gas, leading to lost working hours, reduced daily earnings and disruptions to passenger transport services.
According to officials of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company, the crisis has been triggered by a temporary disruption in LNG supply from the Maheshkhali terminal due to a technical fault. The supply shortfall has affected gas distribution across the country, and efforts are underway to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.
Operators of CNG filling stations said low pressure in the national gas grid has made it impossible to maintain regular gas supply. While a small number of stations are receiving limited gas, most have been forced to suspend operations temporarily.
A visit to several filling stations along the highway on Thursday revealed hundreds of vehicles lined up outside the few stations that remained operational. Despite waiting for several hours, many drivers left without filling their tanks.
Drivers complained that the prolonged waiting time was cutting into their income.
"We have been standing in line for hours but still cannot get enough gas. A large part of the day is wasted at the filling station, reducing our earnings," said several CNG drivers.
Shahidul Islam, manager of Madhumati Filling Station in Ratandi, said the reduced gas supply had forced most stations to close.
"Even at the stations where gas is available, the pressure is extremely low, making it impossible to refuel vehicles quickly," he said.
Many drivers of CNG-run auto-rickshaws and ride-sharing vehicles said they were among the worst affected, as the shortage prevented them from operating their vehicles and serving passengers.
Private car drivers Salam and Nazrul, who visited Shuktara Filling Station in Pirojpur area of Sonargaon, said they returned home with empty tanks after seeing an unusually long queue.
"We waited for some time, but the station was about to stop supplying gas. We had no option but to leave," they said, alleging that larger covered vans were being prioritised over private vehicles.
Hiace driver Kamal Hossain said his vehicle normally takes around Tk 1,100 worth of CNG, but on Thursday he received gas worth only Tk 300 due to the limited supply.
Another driver, Shahadat Ali Rana, said it was taking between two-and-a-half and three hours to get gas, and even then the quantity supplied was insufficient to operate for half a day.
Hamid Mia, an employee at a CNG station, said the compressors were unable to build adequate pressure because of the low gas flow in the pipeline.
Surajit Kumar Saha, Manager (Engineer) of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company's Meghnaghat branch, confirmed that the shortage was nationwide.
"One of the LNG supply sources at Maheshkhali has gone offline due to a technical problem, resulting in the current gas crisis. Work is underway to resolve the issue, and we hope normal supply will resume soon," he said.
-HMR/HIS
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
