The chief adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has strongly denounced the remarks made by BTMA President Shawkat Aziz Russell, in which, Russell likened the current gas crisis in industrial zones to the systematic killings of intellectuals during the 1971 Liberation War.
In a Facebook post, the Press Secretary, expressing his dismay said, “Such a comparison is not only historically inaccurate but also deeply disrespectful to the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for our nation’s independence.”
While the ongoing gas shortages have undeniably disrupted industrial operations, the situation cannot be equated with the atrocities of 1971, he said.
“The Interim Government, which inherited a collapsed economy, is doing everything to mitigate the gas crisis. The challenges are still there,” the post reads.
“I’m surprised and shocked by the comments made by the BTMA president. Is it part of a well-orchestrated conspiracy to discredit the Interim Government?’ Shafiq questioned in his post.
“It is crucial for industry leaders to communicate their grievances responsibly and constructively. Inflammatory rhetoric not only undermines the seriousness of their concerns but also detracts from the collaborative efforts needed to resolve such crises,” the Press Secretary mentioned in the post.
He further added that the data released by the stare-run Petrobangla show that gas supply to industries has increased by 21 percent year on year in the first four months of 2025.
And in April alone the gas supply was nearly 50 percent more than that of April last year. Early this month the government has announced plans to import four additional LNG cargoes and redirect gas supplies from the power sector to industries to boost supply.
Meanwhile Petrobangla has explained that the amount of gas supplied to industries has increased by 21% in January-April period of this year compared to the same period last year.
During the January-April period of 2024, the average daily gas supply to industries was 823 million cubic feet (mmcfd). In comparison, during the same period this year, 997mmcfd of gas were supplied, reads a press release issued by the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources on Monday.
Petrobangla in the statement explained that apart from the regular supply, arrangements have been made to import six additional LNG cargos this year compared to last year. The import cost of LNG is approximately Tk65 per cubic meter.
“It should be noted that the current gas price for industrial and captive category consumers is Tk30 and Tk31.50 per cubic meter, respectively. This means the government must provide a subsidy of Tk35 per cubic meter for the additional gas supply,” said Petrobangla.
Due to the additional LNG imports and changes in category-based allocation, an extra 150 million cubic feet of gas per day will be supplied starting from May 28, 2025.
“The government is proactive and taking swift actions to ensure gas supply to industries. It hopes this clarification will put an end to all misunderstandings surrounding the issue,” reads the release.