The severe gas crisis in the capital, Dhaka, has still not eased. Most CNG stations remain without gas supply. At the one or two stations where supply is available, pressure is so low that drivers, despite long waits, cannot get the gas they need. As a result, long queues have formed in front of CNG stations across various areas.
Meanwhile, while the situation has improved somewhat in households, relief remains elusive. Many areas saw no gas reach stoves on Friday and Saturday, though gas returned to some areas starting Sunday morning, August 16. However, pressure remains so low that even when the stove lights, normal cooking is not possible.
This information emerged from conversations with CNG station workers, drivers, and homemakers.
No gas at CNG stations, long waits
Private car driver Sanaullah said most CNG stations from Malibagh to Kamalapur are not supplying gas. Station authorities cannot even say when supply will return to normal.
He had been waiting in Malibagh since noon in hopes of getting gas.
Sanaullah said he cannot even drive his car properly because he cannot get enough gas. He drives a rent-a-car under a monthly contract of 30,000 taka. But with the gas crisis preventing him from completing regular trips, he is worried about how he will pay this month’s contract fee.
Asad, a worker at the Hajipara pump, said he could not say when gas would arrive — supply would begin as soon as it becomes available.
Inquiries found that CNG stations in the Badda, Malibagh, and Kamalapur areas are almost entirely shut down. Many stations in Tejgaon and Mohakhali face the same situation. In Khilkhet, some stations are supplying gas, but pressure is very low.
Private car driver Yunus Ali said he waited two hours in Khilkhet and received only 120 taka worth of gas. He said: “That’s basically nothing. A ‘ninety’ cylinder usually takes 1,000 to 1,200 taka worth of gas. What good is 120 taka worth?”
He said conditions are somewhat better at night, but gas pressure during the day is extremely low.
Tarek, a worker at the Akij pump, said: “We’re currently shut down. We can supply gas if we get supply at night — we did last night too.” He said pumps in the Mirpur and Gabtoli areas face the same situation.
Long queues in Uttara-Abdullahpur as well
At the Khondoker Filling Station on the eastern side of Uttara-Abdullahpur, long queues of vehicles were seen in front of various stations due to the gas supply shutdown. Unable to get gas despite waiting, many bus and motorcycle drivers were seen returning after switching to diesel and octane.
The manager of the Messrs Masud Hasan station said a large portion of transport relies on CNG. But with no gas supply, sales have stopped and vehicle queues in front of the station keep growing.
He said: “We’re not getting adequate gas. Titas isn’t supplying us properly. If we don’t have it, where would we get it from? Most of our customers’ vehicles run on gas. We haven’t had gas at the pump for the past week, so sales have completely stopped.”
The same situation was observed at the RSR Filling Station on the western side of the Uttara-Abdullahpur section of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.
CNG driver Manik said: “I’ve been here since 5 a.m. for gas. Still haven’t gotten any. How will I pay the car owner? How will I run my household? My daughter’s school fees are due soon. I don’t know what to do now.”
Drivers complain the gas crisis has cut their earnings, with many struggling just to pay their daily vehicle rental fees.
Another driver, Jahid Hossain, said: “I have to pay my employer 1,200 taka every day. Gas costs about 400 taka. Beyond that, I have another 200 to 250 taka in daily expenses. All told, I spend 1,500 to 2,000 taka a day. But because I haven’t been able to get gas, my income has stopped for the past seven days.”
Masud Filling Station manager Md Shakib Hossain said: “There’s been no gas pressure for a week. All the nearby filling stations are shut. Even running the pump on electricity, there’s simply no gas pressure.”
Stoves light, but cooking is impossible
Meanwhile, starting Sunday morning, some gas supply has become available in households across various areas of the capital. However, pressure is so low that even when the stove lights, normal cooking isn’t possible.
Kaniz Fatema, a homemaker in Banashree, said: “With the gas coming through the line, you can’t even boil water for tea. It takes 20 minutes just to heat water.”
Due to low gas pressure, she has been using an electric stove, saying she made rotis on the electric stove that morning as well.
Anwara Begum, a homemaker in Badda, said: “The stove lit in the morning. But there’s no telling how long it would take to cook anything on it. Even with the stove lit, cooking isn’t possible. Friday and Saturday, the stove didn’t even light.”
Afroza Begum, a homemaker in Mirpur, said: “The situation hasn’t returned to normal. I’m using an electric stove as an alternative.”
Inquiries in various areas of the capital, including Uttara, Mohammadpur, Old Dhaka, and Khilgaon, found the same picture of the gas crisis.
In other words, in some places stoves are completely off, and in others they light only nominally — but without enough pressure to actually cook a pot of food over that flame.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report