The gas crisis is not leaving the industrialists behind. The government has taken new measures to meet the demand for gas in the power sector. Therefore, to increase the supply of gas to the power plant for 15 days from last Tuesday, the use of gas in the industry has been stopped for four hours every day from 5 pm to 9 pm. Due to this rule, the industrialists are facing new problems.

Entrepreneurs in the readymade garments, textiles, and ceramics as well as steel and glass industries say that all industries will suffer more or less if they do not get gas for 4 hours 24 hours a day. The cost of producing the product will increase. Exporters cannot send goods on time.

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Liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports have declined since the beginning of last December. Chevron, a US multinational company, began reforming the Bibiana gas field as gas pressure eased. For this reason, there was a gas crisis in different areas of Gazipur including Maona, Konabari, Savar-Ashulia, Narayanganj, and Manikganj for three months.

The Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources decided to reduce the gas supply to the industry by holding an exchange meeting with traders on the power and energy situation on Monday. After that Bangladesh Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources Corporation (Petrobangla) issued a notification. In it, on the occasion of Holy Ramadan, customers of all industries are requested to stop using gas for a total of four hours every day.

The day after the notification was issued, Chittagong Chamber President Mahbubul Alam sent a letter to Tawfiq-e-Ilahi Chowdhury, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, and Nasrul Hamid, State Minister for Power. He wrote in the letter that the industries which have to be kept active all the time cannot be shut down suddenly. If you turn it off the equipment is damaged. Gas rationing in industries will hamper the recovery of economic activity.

Meanwhile, the owners of the garment industry are worried about the decision to stop the use of gas for four hours. They say there is pressure to ship goods before Eid. If production is disrupted now, exports will also be disrupted.