Gas supply will return to pre-crisis level by tonight

Explaining the cause of the shortage, the Prime Minister said gas supply had been disrupted following an accident at one of the country’s two floating LNG terminals, adding that the problem had “already been resolved.”

“The prime minister said, InshaAllah, from tomorrow night the situation in terms of gas and electricity supply will return to the previous level where it was before the recent crisis emerged,” FBCCI Administrator Md Fazlul Hoque told reporters after emerging from a three-hour meeting between the premier and representatives of more than 20 business organisations at the Secretariat.

“We think this is the biggest achievement and the biggest relief from today’s meeting.”

The meeting, originally scheduled for two hours, ran for three. 

Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu said it was called to discuss the current situation, challenges and future plans in the power and energy sector.

Fazlul Hoque said State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit gave a detailed roadmap on increasing electricity and gas generation, in a presentation titled “Challenges and Future Roadmap of Bangladesh’s Power and Energy Sector,” covering both the immediate crisis and future demand from industrial expansion. “It was not the case that they simply made a presentation and we listened and left,” he said, adding that business leaders raised questions and sector-specific concerns throughout.

The prime minister described the sector’s problems as “inherited,” saying they could not be resolved “within six months or a year simply by wishing to do so.” 

“But we have identified the problems, prepared plans and are now at the stage of implementing,” he said.

PM’s Adviser and PMO spokesperson Mahdi Amin said the government is working to launch the country’s third floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) before 2028, alongside plans to drill 150 gas wells in the medium term, with a further 150 to follow.

The prime minister gave a more specific timeline for the third terminal, to be built on a government-to-government basis, “The preparations for setting up another terminal on a G2G basis have largely been completed over the past month. The work will begin soon,” he said, adding that the government hoped to connect it to the supply system by December 2027.

Bangladesh currently operates two FSRUs, one of which had been out of service for an extended period; repairs are under way alongside plans to expand capacity to three FSRUs, and eventually five.

Mahdi said the government is also prioritising domestic gas exploration over LNG imports, alongside plans for land-based LNG terminals and expanded transmission and distribution networks.

On power generation, he said the government aims to diversify supply by prioritising solar alongside oil, gas and coal, while seeking greater self-reliance in energy resources.

The prime minister linked the sector’s recovery to the government’s broader target of a US$1 trillion economy by 2034, saying uninterrupted energy supply was essential to that goal. 

He appealed to the business community for cooperation, “Please cooperate with us so that we can do something better for you.”

Acknowledging the scale of the problem, Mahdi said accumulated challenges in the economy “cannot be fully resolved in a day, a month or even a year,” but said there was “strong commitment, sincerity and a specific plan” at the highest level of government. 

He added that consultations with business bodies would continue.

On the ground, the picture remained mixed.

The second unit of Adani Power’s Godda plant in Jharkhand, India, resumed generation on Sunday night after being shut, with the plant’s two units together producing 1,453.41 megawatts by 6pm, according to a company source.

However, one unit of the Rampal Thermal Power Plant in Bagerhat was shut the same day.

Petrobangla data showed total gas supply rising from around 2,320 million cubic feet at 6pm on Friday to about 2,360 million cubic feet by the same time Sunday, with the LNG component increasing from 701 to 755 million cubic feet.

Power generation nonetheless failed to improve, as several major coal- and gas-fired plants operated below capacity. Load-shedding reached 1,771 megawatts at peak demand on 9 September.

The BNP, which returned to power in February after 19 years, inherited an energy crisis compounded by the global fallout from the war in West Asia. Despite importing LNG at higher prices, the country has reportedly faced delayed cargo deliveries, while technical problems at its FSRUs have further strained gas supply.

Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Invest Bangladesh Authority Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar, Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman, Power Secretary Mirana Mahrukh and Energy Secretary Md Ziaul Huq were among those present, along with BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan, BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem, and other business and media representatives.