Industry bodies want concentrated gas supply to manufacturing zones rather than persistently low pressure, arguing that predictable shutdowns are preferable to operating inefficiently every day.
Bangladesh’s four leading garment and textile associations have asked the government to introduce weekly zonal gas rationing, as prolonged low pressure disrupts production across the country’s largest industrial clusters.
The joint proposal from BGMEA, BKMEA, BTMA and BTTLMEA calls on state-owned Gas Transmission Company Limited to divide major manufacturing belts into zones and provide each with five consecutive days of full-pressure gas, followed by two days of planned shutdown or restricted supply.
Titas shortfall drives the proposal
The industry groups argue that the Titas Gas distribution area, which covers most major textile and garment clusters around Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and surrounding districts, is receiving substantially less gas than required.
Their submission says Titas should receive around 980 million cubic feet per day, but averaged only 883.2 mmcfd during September 5–9, leaving a daily deficit of almost 97 mmcfd. The associations say roughly 6,500 textile and garment factories operate within the Titas network.
The proposed rotation would allow mills to run boilers, dyeing machines, captive-power plants and other continuous processes at efficient operating pressure rather than suffer reduced output throughout the week.
Delivery risk is already visible
The disruption is translating into commercial losses. A BKMEA survey of 134 export-oriented knitwear factories found 87% had experienced shipment delays, while nearly 60% had given discounts to buyers. More than half reported cancelled or reduced orders, and three-quarters had partially shut production.
Bangladesh’s wider energy problem has also worsened as higher global LNG prices constrain gas and power availability.
Reliability becomes a sourcing issue
For textile exporters, predictable energy supply may now matter as much as energy price. Dyeing, finishing and composite mills cannot operate efficiently when gas pressure repeatedly falls below process requirements.
The immediate test is whether zonal rationing can protect machine utilisation, delivery schedules and buyer confidence without disadvantaging other industrial regions. If shortages persist, Bangladesh risks converting an energy problem into a sourcing-reliability problem.
