Cumilla: A severe gas shortage has gripped most areas of Cumilla city for the last two days, with residents facing either very low pressure or no gas at all, disrupting cooking and daily life.

According to United News of Bangladesh, the crisis has forced many households to rely on alternative fuels, increasing their expenses and causing additional hardship. At the same time, restaurants and eateries in the city are experiencing a surge in customers. Golam Kibria, a resident of Nazrul Avenue, reported that there had been no gas supply to his home for more than 31 hours, forcing his family to stop cooking at home and buy food from restaurants, which are also struggling to meet the increased demand.

Banker Abu Solaiman expressed his frustration after being unable to purchase food from a restaurant due to the shortage. He noted that city life has nearly come to a standstill because of the crisis. Housewife Sumaiya Akter shared a similar struggle, having to resort to cooking on a makeshift stove in the courtyard due to the lack of electricity and gas.

The gas shortage has also increased pressure on local eateries. Sohel Rahman, manager of a restaurant, explained the difficulty in serving the surge of customers, leading to a struggle in maintaining supplies of essentials like rice, bread, and bakery biscuits.

Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Limited (BGDCL), in an emergency notice, stated that gas supply has decreased abnormally across the country as LNG supplies from floating storage regasification units have declined due to adverse weather. This has resulted in low gas pressure in the BGDCL distribution areas, affecting Cumilla and surrounding districts.

The company apologized for the disruption and requested customer cooperation, advising them to contact its hotline for gas supply issues. However, local residents stated that those responsible for cooking are bearing the brunt of the disruption, facing increased costs and inconvenience from using alternative fuels. They demanded an immediate resolution to the crisis.

BGDCL General Manager Engineer Md Solaiman admitted uncertainty about when gas supply will return to normal, citing adverse weather conditions as the primary cause of the disruption.