Bangladesh Textile Mills Reel from Gas Shortage

A severe natural gas shortage has crippled over 80% of textile mills in Narsingdi, Bangladesh's main industrial hub. The crisis began on July 21 when a technical fault hit an offshore floating liquefied natural gas terminal at Moheshkhali, reducing national gas output to 2,175 million cubic feet per day from 2,650.

This shortage has left over 3,000 production units without essential materials, with fabric makers unable to operate steam boilers and drying machines. Local industry groups estimate that between 10-15 million yards of fabric have been ruined due to the lack of gas pressure, which fell to zero in key industrial pockets for four consecutive days.

The crisis has had a significant impact on garment makers, with international buyers canceling orders and leaving mills without raw materials. The shortage is expected to recover next week as repair teams complete work on the Moheshkhali LNG terminal, but the incident highlights the recurring energy vulnerabilities in Bangladesh's supply chain.