Gas Shortage Shuts 80 Percent of Narsingdi Textile Mills in Bangladesh
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A severe natural gas shortage has shut roughly 80 percent of textile and dyeing mills in Narsingdi, wiping out an estimated Tk 500 crore in daily output.
The industrial hub supplies about 75 percent of domestic fabric demand in Bangladesh, leaving garment makers without essential materials as international buyers cancel orders.
Rotting Fabric and Idled Boilers
Narsingdi houses more than 3,000 production units, including 2,500 sizing, spinning, dyeing and weaving mills. About 400 of these operations rely on uninterrupted natural gas at 10 to 15 pounds per square inch to run steam boilers and drying machines. Gas pressure in key industrial pockets like Madhabdi and Chowala fell to zero for four straight days, leaving chemically treated fabric stranded mid-cycle. Fabric left wet beyond 16 hours rots and turns unusable.
Local industry groups estimate between 10 million and 15 million yards of fabric have been ruined. At Tithi Textile in Madhabdi, 250,000 yards were damaged after generators and machinery stopped. Facing steep losses and wage deadlines, more than 100 mills closed indefinitely, sending workers home on unpaid leave. Others turned to burning wood in steam boilers at a cost of Tk 12,000 a day, skirting local environmental permits after the price of scrap fabric waste spiked.
Supply Chain Bottlenecks Spread
The disruption traces back to July 21, when a technical fault crippled an offshore floating liquefied natural gas terminal at Moheshkhali. National gas output plunged from 2,650 million cubic feet per day to 2,175 mmcfd against total demand of 3,800 mmcfd. State distributor Petrobangla lifted supply to 2,300 mmcfd on August 22, but state utility Titas Gas diverted high-pressure flows of 200 PSI to the Ghorashal-Palash fertiliser plant, starving private textile processors.
Bangladesh remains the world’s second-largest apparel exporter, yet its supply chain faces recurring energy vulnerabilities that threaten delivery timelines for global fashion brands. While competing manufacturing hubs in Vietnam and India rely on more diversified power grids, Bangladeshi mills remain exposed to single-point infrastructure failures in offshore gas infrastructure, compounding margin pressure from rising domestic debt.
Titas Gas engineers expect regional gas pressure to show initial signs of recovery next week as repair teams complete work on the Moheshkhali LNG terminal.
Questions & Answers
Q.What caused the severe natural gas shortage affecting Narsingdi's textile mills?
What caused the severe natural gas shortage affecting Narsingdi's textile mills?
The shortage began on July 21st due to a technical fault at an offshore floating liquefied natural gas terminal in Moheshkhali. This crippled national gas output and reduced supply significantly, impacting industrial users.
Q.How has the gas shortage impacted the textile mills financially and operationally?
How has the gas shortage impacted the textile mills financially and operationally?
Roughly 80 percent of mills have shut, wiping out an estimated Tk 500 crore in daily output. Over 100 mills closed indefinitely, sending workers home, and significant amounts of fabric have been ruined due to the lack of power.
Q.What measures have some textile mills taken to continue operations despite the gas shortage?
What measures have some textile mills taken to continue operations despite the gas shortage?
Some mills have resorted to burning wood in their steam boilers as an alternative fuel source. This costs around Tk 12,000 a day and involves skirting local environmental permits to keep machinery running.
Q.When can a recovery in regional gas pressure be expected for the affected areas?
When can a recovery in regional gas pressure be expected for the affected areas?
Titas Gas engineers anticipate that regional gas pressure will show initial signs of recovery next week. This is dependent on repair teams completing their work on the Moheshkhali LNG terminal.