Severe gas crisis hits Sonargaon pumps

SONARGAON, NARAYANGANJ, July 24: Gas filling stations in Sonargaon, Narayanganj, are facing an acute gas crisis, causing severe hardship for drivers of CNG-run vehicles, passengers, and station owners alike. 

Of the 20 CNG filling stations along the Dhaka-Chattogram highway section in Sonargaon, gas supply has been suspended at 18. Only two stations are operating with limited supply, leading to long queues of hundreds of vehicles there.

Drivers are waiting for hours on end in hopes of getting gas. The insufficient supply is not only wasting working hours but also reducing daily earnings. 

Meanwhile, the local Titas office has stated that a technical glitch at the Maheshkhali gas terminal has caused a temporary problem, affecting the entire country. Efforts are underway to resolve the issue quickly.

Filling station operators reported that reduced pressure in the national gas grid has made normal supply impossible. Some stations are receiving limited amounts of gas, while many have been forced to suspend operations temporarily.

A visit to several pumps along the highway in Sonargaon on Thursday morning revealed such scenes. Even after standing in line for hours, many drivers were unable to get the required amount of gas. This is disrupting transport services and causing significant inconvenience for passengers.

Drivers complained that spending long hours waiting without getting gas is wasting their working time and cutting into their daily earnings. Many are forced to return with empty tanks.

Shahidul Islam, manager of the Madhumati Filling Station in the Ratandi area, said that reduced supply has forced most stations to remain closed. Even at stations where gas is available, pressure is so low that refuelling vehicles quickly is not possible.

Several CNG vehicle drivers said that even after waiting in line from 6 am to 1 pm on Thursday, they often could not get gas. As a result, a large part of their day is spent at the pump, disrupting their regular income.

Low- and middle-income drivers are the hardest hit. Many drivers of CNG-run auto-rickshaws and those involved in ride-sharing services like Pathao say they are unable to transport passengers due to the lack of timely gas supply.

Salam and Nazrul, private car drivers who came to the Shuktara Pump in Pirojpur for gas, said: "We stood in line and saw a huge queue. After a while, the pump will just shut down anyway. I was forced to return home with an empty tank."

They also alleged that instead of giving gas to them, the pump was supplying large covered vans.
Kamal Hossain, a vehicle driver at the Ratandi Madhumati Pump, said his vehicle has a large gas cylinder that normally takes gas worth Tk 1,100. But due to the shortage, he was only given gas worth Tk 300.

Another driver, Shahdat Ali Rana, said: "It takes two and a half to three hours just at the pump. And even with the gas I get, I can't run the vehicle for half a day. Because of this, many drivers aren't even taking their vehicles out."

Hamid Mia, a worker at a CNG pump, said, "Even after running the compressor machine all day, the pressure isn't building up. Moreover, there's no gas in the line. That's why vehicles aren't getting gas either."

Surajit Kumar Saha, engineer and manager of the Meghnaghat branch of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company, said: "There is a gas crisis across the country. One LNG supply from Maheshkhali has been cut off, causing this shortage. Work is ongoing, and we hope the situation will be resolved soon."