Bangladesh’s textile and garment industry, the backbone of the country’s export economy, is facing an existential crisis due to a severe and prolonged gas shortage. At a joint press conference held Sunday at the Gulshan Club, top industrial and business associations—including BTMA, BGMEA, BKMEA, BCI, ICCB, and BPGMEA—voiced urgent concerns over dwindling production capacity, shrinking working capital, and the looming threat of factory closures.
BTMA President Shawkat Aziz Russell called current policies and gas distribution practices “anti-industrial,” warning that many factories may be unable to pay workers’ salaries and Eid bonuses. Production in numerous mills has fallen to just 40–50% of capacity, forcing exporters to use costly air freight to meet deadlines—causing financial losses of millions per shipment.
Speakers noted that while gas prices have risen over 300% in recent years with promises of improved supply, actual delivery has worsened. Titas Gas Distribution Company has reportedly reduced supply by 100 million cubic feet per day, with inaccurate usage data compounding system loss issues. They also raised alarm over growing layoffs, halted recruitment, and increasing risk of worker unrest.
The sector—accounting for 85% of Bangladesh’s export earnings and employing around 4 million workers—is also losing foreign investor interest due to ongoing uncertainty, policy inconsistency, and energy instability.
Leaders issued three key demands:
- Immediate, uninterrupted gas supply to the industrial sector.
- Suspension of the latest gas price hike and formulation of a stakeholder-inclusive pricing policy.
- A sustainable medium- and long-term energy action plan.
They also urged the government to eliminate illegal connections, stop system losses, and reform agencies like Petrobangla, BERC, and Titas to serve public and industrial interests—not profit motives. Without swift intervention, they warned, the sector’s collapse could severely impact the nation’s foreign exchange reserves, employment, and overall economic stability.
