Gas crisis shuts all CNG stations in B'baria

Station operators said they have no clear information on when supplies will resume.

According to local sources, Bakh-rabad Gas Distribution Company Limited began reducing gas supplies to five filling stations in the district from Wednesday (August 12). As the shortage worsened, all stations were eventually shut down on Thursday night.
The disruption has forced many CNG-powered autorickshaw drivers to switch to LPG cylinders. However, passengers are being charged significantly higher fares as a result.
Before the supply was halted, Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company supplied around 50,000 cubic metres of gas daily to the five filling stations in the district. Demand, however, is nearly twice that amount.
Gas pressure at the stations had already remained low for more than two weeks. Although the normal supply pressure is around 15 PSI, the stations were receiving gas at only 3-4 PSI.
The gas supply was reduced further from Wednesday before being completely suspended from Thursday night, forcing the stations to close.
Meanwhile, the shortage has sharply reduced the number of CNG autorickshaws operating on roads and highways in the district. Only a limited number are running on LPG, with some charging nearly double the usual fare, adding to commuters' woes.
Abul Kashem, a passenger, said he waited for an hour at Kumarshil intersection in the city before finding an autorickshaw to Nandanpur BSCIC Industrial Estate. The driver initially demanded Tk 80 for the trip, although the regular fare is Tk 40. After bargaining, they settled on Tk 70.
Azizul Haque, manager of Sopan Filling Station in Sarail, said gas supplies to the station had been suspended since Wednesday, forcing them to shut down because they could no longer refuel vehicles.
He said the Bakhrabad Gas authorities had indicated that gas supplies could resume on Sunday or Monday.