Chattogram Correspondent — A major technical breakdown at the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) LNG terminal in Maheshkhali has severely disrupted Bangladesh’s national gas grid, triggering acute shortages for residential, commercial, and industrial consumers across the country.
The disruption has plunged households, eateries, and manufacturing hubs into widespread distress.
In many residential areas, stoves have remained unlit for most of the day, while industrial units—already struggling with low pressure—have been forced to scale back production, sparking fears of supply chain disruptions in export-oriented sectors.
Grid Deficit Widens dramatically
According to an official emergency statement released by Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, the technical fault at Maheshkhali has abruptly cut national grid supplies by nearly 450 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd).
“Due to a technical fault at the Maheshkhali LNG terminal, gas supply to the national grid has decreased by approximately 450 mmcfd,” Titas Gas announced in a public notice. “Customers across all categories under Titas, as well as other distribution networks, will experience low gas pressure until the situation normalizes.”
Titas authorities expressed sincere regret for the sudden hardship, assuring the public that technical teams are working around the clock to rectify the defect and restore normal supply at the earliest possible time.
Pressure on an Already Fragile System
The timing of the glitch exacerbates a long-standing structural deficit in Bangladesh’s energy system. Under normal operating conditions, national daily gas demand sits at roughly 4,200 mmcfd, against a supply of about 2,700 mmcfd—leaving a persistent base deficit of 1,500 mmcfd.
| Supply Component | Normal Contribution (mmcfd) | Impact of Current Glitch |
| Domestic Gas Fields | ~1,650 | Unaffected |
| Imported LNG | 950 – 1,000 | Reduced by ~450 |
| Total Grid Supply | ~2,700 | Drops to ~2,250 |
| National Demand | ~4,200 | Deficit widens to ~1,950 |
The two floating LNG terminals at Maheshkhali have a combined regasification capacity of 1,100 mmcfd.
With nearly half of that capacity suddenly knocked offline, the overall grid supply has plunged to critical levels, hitting urban households and gas-dependent businesses the hardest.
The incident underscores the extreme vulnerability of Bangladesh’s power and industrial sectors to single-point infrastructural failures in imported fuel supply chains.
Until technical teams fully restore regasification operations at Maheshkhali, millions of consumers and businesses will continue to face severe low-pressure constraints.