Brahmanbaria Gas Shortage Brings Cooking Chaos to Thousands

A severe gas shortage in Brahmanbaria has caused widespread disruptions to household cooking and public transport. The district's households have struggled with cooking for nearly two weeks due to inadequate gas supply through pipelines.

Locals report that many residents have been forced to use traditional clay stoves as an alternative, while some filling stations across the district have also been affected by the shortage. Auto-rickshaw drivers, who rely on compressed natural gas (CNG) for their vehicles, are charging higher fares to compensate for reduced access to fuel.

Shankar Das, a resident of Medda area in the district town, said he had to pay Tk70 instead of the usual Tk50 for a ride due to the gas shortage. Auto-rickshaw driver Russell Mia attributed the higher fares to filling stations not receiving enough gas. Bashirul Islam, a Kuttapara resident, experienced no gas supply from morning until 3pm, with pressure remaining low even after gas returned to the pipeline.

The Brahmanbaria office of Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Limited supplies an average of 3 million cubic feet of gas per day against demand of nearly 8 million cubic feet. Deputy General Manager Shafiqul Haque attributed the shortage to a reduction in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, stating that it was not yet possible to say when the situation would improve.