Officer Responds to Crisis with Repeated ‘Thanks’

He holds the position of General Manager at Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company. The official, Satyajit Ghosh, is responsible for the prepaid meter division.

At 6:16pm last Monday, when contacted over the issue that “gas is available for not even an hour a day,” he responded curtly, saying, “Okay, thank you. I’m in a meeting.”

The reporter politely asked again whether he was aware of the gas shortage. His straightforward reply was, “Call public relations. Come to the office. Information will be provided. Thank you, I’m in a meeting. Our workforce is working on it. The problem will be resolved soon.”

The reporter then asked how long it would take to resolve the crisis and whether he could spare some time the following day if visited at the office. The follow-up question appeared to further irritate Engineer Satyajit Ghosh. “Should I cancel my meeting for you?” he retorted, before once again saying, “Thank you.”

During the 1-minute-and-42-second conversation, the official repeated ‘thank you’ several more times in a discordant tone. What became clear, however, was his apparent lack of concern over the gas crisis. Such is the state of service delivery in the utility sector.

Roksana Parveen, a homemaker living in Block-D of Pallabi in Mirpur-12, said gas is available for barely an hour in a 24-hour period. Even then, there is no fixed schedule for when it will be supplied. Most of the time, it comes after midnight. Forced by the situation, she purchased an induction stove along with separate cookware for it. As a result, her electricity bill has increased, while she continues to pay charges for the gas meter. Expressing frustration, Roksana Parveen said, “Gas is available for less than 10 percent of the time. When I want to cook at 7 in the morning, there is no gas. I’m forced to use the electric stove. Even when gas comes late at night, it is of little use. There is never any gas during peak hours.”

Roksana uses a prepaid gas meter and pays Tk200 a month in meter rent. Yet she cannot even consume gas worth the amount she pays for the meter. Instead, her electricity bill has increased by nearly Tk1,000 because of the electric stove. Previously, during the summer, her electricity bill was around Tk2,500. After purchasing the electric stove, it has risen to nearly Tk3,500. According to her, even when gas is supplied, the pressure remains too low for cooking. As a result, she has to rely on the induction stove.

The situation is similar in most households across Pallabi. In nearly every home, an electric stove can now be seen alongside the gas burner. Some residents have also purchased rice cookers, while others have turned to gas cylinders. But those alternatives bring their own difficulties. If a cylinder runs out at night, the only option left is the electric stove. As a result, households are being forced to maintain multiple alternatives for cooking.

North Pallabi is also grappling with a severe gas shortage. Azizur Rahman Khan Mithun, a local businessman, told Agamir Somoy that he had lodged complaints with Titas on numerous occasions. He said, “They always say the same thing, ‘A large workforce is working on it. The problem will be resolved soon.’” It was the very same line Engineer Satyajit Ghosh had used at the outset. His subordinates appear equally devoted to that reassuring refrain.

Several families in Pallabi said they end up paying more in meter rent than for the gas they actually consume. A Tk 500 gas recharge can take four to five months to be exhausted, yet they must pay around Tk 1,000 in meter charges during that period. In some cases, even after five months, gas worth Tk 500 remains unused. Residents say this situation has persisted for the past year. Previously, gas was available in Pallabi until 7am and would return after 2 pm. Now, however, supply is limited to roughly an hour at an unpredictable time during the day. The plight of postpaid users in the area is even worse. They pay Tk 1,080 a month for a two-burner connection but receive gas worth only Tk 100 to Tk 200.

Maniknagar is facing a similar crisis. Selina Akter, who lives on WASA Road and works for a private company, said she has been suffering from gas shortages throughout the year. A postpaid customer, she receives gas only after 3 am, and the supply disappears shortly after 6 am. As a result, she has to wake up around 4am to finish her cooking. Although gas occasionally returns between 3 pm and 4 pm, she is at work during those hours. The supply is cut off again by around 6:30 pm, rendering it useless for her household needs. She now cooks using gas cylinders. Selina Akter told Agamir Somoy, “During the campaign for the national parliamentary election, the current Member of Parliament promised that the gas problem would be resolved. But the crisis still remains.”

Extortion Allegations

Inquiries revealed that after August 5, several local political leaders allegedly collected between Tk 20,000 and Tk 50,000 from nearly every homeowner on WASA Road, promising to resolve the gas crisis by arranging larger supply lines from Titas. However, residents say the money was wasted and the problem remains unresolved. Both prepaid and postpaid users in the area are now increasingly relying on gas cylinders.

Urban planner Adil Muhammad Khan was asked how long such disparity in service delivery would continue. He told Agamir Somoy that the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon. “There is complete disorder in gas distribution across the city. In the same city, some areas face severe shortages while others do not. Why should that be the case?” he said. The urban planner argued that if gas cannot be supplied properly, meter charges should be abolished. He added that residents should be informed in advance whenever work is being carried out on gas lines or when supply disruptions are expected. Furthermore, if uninterrupted gas supply cannot be ensured, or if gas is provided only during specific hours of the day, meter charges should be adjusted accordingly.