The Economy Is Paying a Heavy Price

Bangladesh Faces Prolonged Gas Crisis as LNG Shipment Remains Uncertain

Bangladesh’s gas crisis is expected to continue as an LNG cargo scheduled to arrive on September 6 remains uncertain. The cargo, purchased directly from Black Cube, has yet to receive the required bank guarantee documents, while the company has reportedly stopped responding to Petrobangla officials.

The country has been facing a severe gas shortage since July 21, disrupting production at hundreds of factories. Although the government had expected LNG supplies to improve from September, several scheduled cargoes have been delayed or cancelled.

A previous LNG shipment scheduled for August 26 was also cancelled after authorities found that the cargo was subject to Western sanctions. Another shipment expected on September 10 remains uncertain, prompting the government to seek additional supplies from Saudi Aramco.

The shortage has forced Bangladesh to reduce gas supplies from its two LNG terminals, despite their combined capacity to provide around 1.05–1.10 billion cubic feet per day. Only about 720 million cubic feet is currently being supplied.

Meanwhile, the country is also facing severe power shortages. Electricity imports from Nepal were suspended after floods damaged two hydropower plants. At around 2pm Saturday, Bangladesh faced 2,247 MW of load-shedding, with demand at 15,857 MW against supply of 13,610 MW.

Officials are now trying to increase power generation from furnace-oil-based plants while seeking funds to pay outstanding dues and purchase additional fuel.