Gas supplies have begun returning to normal at filling stations in Feni after six days of severe disruption, bringing relief to motorists and CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers. However, the crisis persists for residential and industrial consumers, with most parts of the town still receiving little or no gas.
Supply resumed at gas distribution centres and filling stations across the Feni region from Friday morning, while vehicles had already begun receiving gas normally at CNG stations from Thursday night.
According to Bakhrabad Gas authorities, supplies resumed simultaneously at 10 of the district’s 14 CNG filling stations on Thursday night following the resumption of operations by the Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL).
Daily gas demand in the Feni region stands at around 30 million cubic feet, against the current supply of 23 million to 25 million cubic feet.
Officials expect supply to reach full capacity within the next couple of days, which could also ease the shortage in outlying upazilas.
A visit to the busy Haji Nazir Ahmed CNG Filling Station in the Mohipal area found vehicles refuelling without the long queues and overcrowding seen during the past several days.
Md Masum, cashier at the filling station, said gas supply returned to normal at around 8pm on Thursday and vehicles were refuelled throughout the night.
Gas pressure was also good, he added.
Several CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers said the improvement had brought much-needed relief after days of struggling to find fuel.
Abdul Karim, a driver from Mohipal, said he had spent hours moving from one filling station to another over the past few days without getting enough gas.
“I had to wait in queues for hours and could not make enough trips. By the end of the day, I could barely cover the amount I had to pay the vehicle owner,” he said.
Since Thursday night, however, he has been able to refuel without facing crowds.
Another auto-rickshaw driver, Md Hasan, said filling stations previously refused to allow vehicles in when gas pressure was too low.
Even when they managed to refuel, cylinders could not be filled completely, forcing drivers to return to filling stations after travelling only a short distance.
“Now the pressure is good. A full cylinder lets us drive properly throughout the day. It is a huge relief,” he said.
Long-distance CNG driver Abul Kashem said the shortage had caused severe hardship for several days, leaving drivers worried about both payments to vehicle owners and their livelihoods.
He hoped the improved pressure would continue so drivers would no longer have to waste hours waiting in queues.
BGDCL Feni Deputy General Manager Engineer Akhtaruzzaman said necessary measures had been taken to normalise gas supplies and expressed hope that the problem would be resolved soon.
The improvement at filling stations comes after six consecutive days of suspended or severely disrupted gas supplies caused major difficulties for transport operators.
Homes, factories still without gas
Despite the improvement at filling stations, residential consumers continue to face an acute shortage.
Most areas of Feni town are receiving virtually no gas, leaving around 32,000 consumers struggling to cook at home. Many residents have been forced to turn to hotels and restaurants for meals as their stoves remain unusable.
Industrial production is also being disrupted by the shortage. Around 450 establishments have gas connections, but supplies remain unavailable at many of them.
Officials at Star Line Auto Major Flour Mill in the town’s Daudpul area said gas remains unavailable during the daytime, with limited supplies arriving only at night.
The factory is having to carry out production during the brief period when gas is available, preventing it from reaching its desired output, according to company director Main Uddin.
Fahima Abedin, a resident of East Ukilpara, said there had been no gas at all over the past several days.
“Now gas comes at around 3am, but disappears again by morning. The pressure is extremely low,” she said.
