Industrial entrepreneurs based in Naryanganj โ one of the main centres for textile, and knitwearย garments industries in the country. The textile and apparel sectors are feeling the pinch of ongoing gas shortage problems in the major industrial areas of the country including Savar, Narayanganj, Dhamrai, Manikganj, Gazipur and Chattogram. The millers are fearing that they will lose the work orders if the production cannot be continued.ย
According to the primary textile millers, In this situation, productions at factories that are dependent on captive power, including ones in the dyeing sector, are being seriously disrupted. But at the end of the month, we have to pay the salaries of our workers and repay our bank liabilities. Many factory owners Many of the mills have been running at 50 per cent to 60 per cent capacity because of the lower pressure of gas in the industrial plants.
Mahbub Khan Himel, Director, of Mithela Textile Industries said, Every month we export around 6-7 mn fabrics but due to the gas crisis, we only export 2 mn.ย ย Spinning, weaving, dyeing-printing-finishing industries of Bangladesh are run on the basis of captive power generation, where gas is the main fuel, added Mr Himel.
โThe gas supply has been severely disrupted recently, where some factories run their productions by shutting down The millers also said gas pressure is so low that sometimes the pressure reaches 1.5 pounds per square inch (psi) although they have approved 10 PSI or more than 10PSI for operation.
According to the TGTDCL, the improvement of the supply of gas is depending on the availability of the gas in the pipelines. “However, it is expected that the situation of gas supply will improve soon as we are working on the issue.
The sufferers should also contact the officials of the Petrobangla so that the state-owned gas exploration and production company can also be aware of the gas crisis in the country.
Mohammad Ali Khokon, president of the BTMA, said the local garment exporters may lose work orders from international retailers and brands if the spinners and weavers cannot supply the yarn and fabrics timely.
Earlier on September 15, the BTMA sent a letter to Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, energy adviser to the prime minister, seeking a solution to the gas shortage problems. Then they also called a press conference on this issue on September 16.
According to the BTMA, some 450 spinning mills have been supplying 80% of the demand for yarn of the local knitwear factories currently which are the main consumers of natural gas.
With very little to write home about pertaining to the current gas crisis industries in Bangladesh are faced with, factory owners in the textile and knitwear manufacturing hub of Narayanganj, are all set to submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in early October seeking steps to resolve the prevailing crisis.
