Independent lawmaker Rumeen Farhana has raised concerns in Parliament over what she described as an unfair distribution of gas resources, alleging that while gas produced from Brahmanbaria is supplied nationwide, residents of the region continue to face severe shortages.
Speaking during a discussion on a private member’s resolution in Parliament on Thursday, she highlighted both household energy issues and wider supply disparities.
She noted that although the official price of an LPG cylinder is Tk1,940, it is rarely available below Tk2,200 in the market, adding financial pressure on households already struggling with rising living costs.
The MP also compared urban and rural electricity conditions, stating that while Dhaka experiences one to two hours of load shedding, rural areas face outages lasting up to 14 hours, severely affecting daily life.
Focusing on her constituency Brahmanbaria-2, she said areas like Sarail suffer from extremely low gas pressure, with supply often absent for long hours during the day and only weak flow at other times.
She argued that such conditions make everyday cooking increasingly difficult for residents, especially as traditional cooking methods are no longer practical for many families living in modern housing.
She also pointed out that frequent power cuts have pushed many households to rely on LPG and electric cooking solutions, both of which remain expensive and unreliable.
In response, Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku acknowledged the decline in gas pressure, citing supply limitations and prioritisation of industrial demand.
He also blamed previous administrations for inadequate exploration and said the government is now working to improve domestic production through renewed exploration efforts.
The minister further informed Parliament that gas supply to the Ashuganj Fertiliser Plant will resume from 1 May, despite concerns over its impact on power generation, in order to prioritise agricultural needs.
