Narsingdi Industrial Belt Hit by Severe Gas, Power Crisis; Daily Losses Reach Tk 500cr

Narsingdi’s industrial belt is facing a severe gas and electricity crisis, disrupting production at hundreds of textile, dyeing, printing, spinning, ceramic and other medium- and large-scale factories.Industrialists and business leaders estimate that the ongoing energy crisis is causing losses of around Tk 400–500 crore every day in the district’s industrial zones. They fear prolonged disruption could make it difficult for factory owners to pay workers and employees regularly.The crisis has intensified following an accident at an LNG terminal in Maheshkhali, which disrupted gas supplies. At the same time, increased load-shedding has further affected industrial operations.Narsingdi is one of Bangladesh’s major industrial hubs, with more than 3,000 textile, dyeing and spinning mills. A significant portion of the country’s fabric demand is met by factories in the district.Anisur Rahman Bhuiyan, director of Bhuiyan Textile and Calender Mills, said production at his factory has been almost completely suspended for around two weeks due to the gas shortage.“We need at least 10 PSI of gas pressure to operate the factory, but we are receiving only 1–2 PSI. At night, we manage to operate for one or two hours using cylinder gas,” he said.Nizam Uddin Bhuiyan Liton, chairman of the Bangladesh Textile Dyeing and Printing Association, Narsingdi, said nearly 80 percent of mills in Narsingdi and Madhabdi have been forced to shut down because of the gas and electricity shortages.Abdullah Al Mamun, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), said the industrial zone is losing Tk 400–500 crore every day.“Earlier, we used to describe the situation as a shortage of gas and electricity. Now, it has reached almost zero availability,” he said.Factory owners said production has come to a standstill, resulting in a sharp decline in sales and revenue. They are now increasingly concerned about their ability to pay workers and employees.Business leaders warned that if gas and electricity supplies are not restored quickly, the crisis could deepen further in one of the country’s most important industrial regions.