Bangladesh is expected to see a gradual improvement in natural gas supplies from next week, although a full return to normal service may take another week as engineers continue repairing a damaged floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.
Speaking to reporters at the secretariat on Monday, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources Anindya Islam Amit said, "Authorities were working continuously to ease the disruption, which has affected households, factories and businesses across the country.”
He acknowledged the hardship caused by the shortage, particularly for families relying on piped gas for cooking, while also recognising the impact on industrial production.
“We understand the difficulties people are facing every day, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience,” the minister said.
According to Amit, the disruption was triggered by a technical failure at a privately operated floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), rather than by any government agency.
He said, "Government officials and technical teams from the operator were working together around the clock but warned that restoring supplies could not be achieved immediately because of the complexity of the repairs.”
The affected terminal is expected to resume delivering between 280 million and 300 million cubic feet of gas per day to the national network from next week. Before the fault occurred, the facility had been supplying around 500 million to 550 million cubic feet daily.
“If around half of its normal output can be restored in the coming days, the operator expects to return the terminal to full capacity during the following week,” the minister said.
Bangladesh currently requires roughly 3,800 million cubic feet of gas each day, but available supply stands at about 2,700 million cubic feet.
Domestic gas fields contribute around 1,600 to 1,650 million cubic feet daily, while imported LNG adds a further 1,000 to 1,100 million cubic feet after regasification.
Imported LNG reaches the national gas grid through two floating regasification terminals. However, operations at one of the facilities, operated by Excelerate Energy, were suspended last week after a major technical malfunction, cutting LNG-derived supplies by almost half.
Officials initially expected repairs to be completed within 24 hours. As the problem proved more serious than first anticipated, specialist engineers from Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates were brought in to support the repair work.
Amit said, "Teams from Petrobangla, Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL) and the Energy and Mineral Resources Division were coordinating closely with international specialists from Excelerate Energy to restore operations as quickly as possible.”
Replacement components are being flown into Bangladesh and will receive priority customs clearance to minimise delays.
Preliminary investigations indicate that a boiler explosion within the FSRU damaged several connected systems.
The minister said, "A more serious incident was avoided after an LNG carrier positioned nearby was moved away in time.”
He explained that LNG is transported by specialised vessels before being converted into natural gas at floating regasification terminals and immediately injected into the national grid, meaning storage options remain limited. While the damaged terminal remains offline, the country’s second FSRU, operated by Summit, continues to function.
Alongside emergency repairs, the government is pursuing a broader strategy to strengthen Bangladesh’s energy security.
In the short term, officials are examining plans to transport surplus natural gas from Bhola to the mainland and import LNG from Malaysia using ISO tank containers.
Medium-term plans include developing three additional floating LNG terminals, while a land-based LNG import terminal is being considered as a longer-term solution to expand the country’s regasification capacity.
The minister said, "Existing infrastructure limits Bangladesh’s ability to import more LNG even when global supplies are available. Expanding regasification facilities would allow greater volumes of imported gas to enter the national network.”
He added that feasibility studies are also assessing how surplus gas from Bhola could be supplied to industries and power stations after meeting local demand.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has launched a new offshore licensing round aimed at increasing domestic gas production. International oil and gas companies have shown interest in the bidding process, with proposals due by November.
Amit expressed confidence that greater exploration and new investment would strengthen domestic gas production over the coming years, reducing the country’s dependence on imported fuel while improving long-term energy security.
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