Residents across several areas of Dhaka have endured an acute gas shortage for the past two to three months, forcing families to spend more on electricity, LPG cylinders, and restaurant meals even as they continue paying their regular monthly gas bills, according to local media reports on Friday, 18 September 2026. The prolonged crisis has sparked growing consumer outrage over what critics describe as payment for a service that is simply not being delivered.

What Households Are Facing

Residents of Dhanmondi reported receiving no gas for two months while continuing to pay monthly bills to Titas Gas, Bangladesh's state-owned natural gas distributor. In Lalbagh, housewife Faria Ahmed Borsha said her family had received virtually no gas for three to four months but was still paying Bangladeshi taka (Tk) 1,080 every month. Similar experiences have been reported across multiple Dhaka neighbourhoods, where households are relying on costlier alternatives to meet daily cooking and heating needs while continuing to pay for an unavailable service.

The Supply Gap Behind the Crisis

The household hardship reflects a wider national shortfall. According to Petrobangla figures cited in media reports, daily gas demand in Bangladesh stands at around 380 crore cubic feet, against a supply of only 265–270 crore cubic feet — a deficit of more than 100 crore cubic feet every day. The crisis deepened after a 21 July fire that damaged electrical systems at Excelerate Energy's floating LNG terminal in Moheshkhali, cutting national grid supply by around 450 million cubic feet per day. Partial supply was later restored, but the disruption compounded existing shortages. Titas Gas has reportedly warned consumers that extremely low gas pressure will persist across its distribution network until LNG imports improve.

Industries Hit Alongside Households

The shortage is rippling across Bangladesh's industrial sector as well. Textile, knitwear, dyeing, and finishing factories — which are heavily dependent on gas — have been among the hardest hit. Some units have halted production entirely, while others are running well below normal capacity. The disruption poses a risk to export timelines in one of Bangladesh's most critical foreign-exchange-earning industries.

Consumer Groups Demand Accountability

SM Nazer Hossain, vice-president of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), argued that consumers should not be required to pay full bills when the promised service is not being delivered. 'The government has committed to providing uninterrupted gas connections. But you are not providing that service. Then why should you collect the full bill?' he said. Nazer also highlighted that the additional household expenses were particularly burdensome for salaried workers whose incomes do not rise in step with rising costs. 'There should be a specific plan from the government to deal with the fuel crisis. But we do not see any such specific plan from the government. We have never seen one,' he added. Experts have noted that no immediate remedy exists, though expanding domestic gas production could offer some relief over the longer term. With the Moheshkhali LNG terminal still operating below full capacity and demand consistently outpacing supply, households across Dhaka are unlikely to see meaningful relief in the near term.