Bangladesh Trade Bodies Seek CNG to Keep Garment Factories Running Amid Gas Crisis

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) have appealed to the government to allow export-oriented garment factories to collect compressed natural gas (CNG) from filling stations amid a severe gas shortage.

The crisis was triggered by the shutdown of the Excelerate Energy-operated floating LNG terminal, which has reduced gas pressure in factories and disrupted production due to irregular gas supply. The BGMEA warned that zero gas pressure is halting production in many factories, putting export shipments at risk of delays.

In separate letters sent to the government, the trade bodies urged authorities to permit factories to procure gas through cylinders from CNG filling stations until the supply situation improves. However, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company has instructed CNG filling stations to stop selling natural gas into open cylinders or gas cascade cylinders not mounted on authorized vehicles, citing safety concerns and violations of the Gas Act 2010 and Gas Distribution Rules 2026.

The BKMEA said its President discussed the matter with the secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division and obtained an assurance that gas collection from CNG filling stations for export-oriented factories would continue as before. The association advised its member factories to comply with all safety requirements and government instructions while collecting gas from CNG stations.