Cars Aren't Moving, Stoves Aren't Burning
Photo: Agamir Somoy
The gas crisis in the capital is no longer confined to just CNG filling stations; its severe impact has now spread to households as well. In some places, stoves remain without flame for hours on end, while in others, the gas pressure is so low that cooking takes several times longer than usual. At the same time, CNG stations are witnessing long queues of hundreds of vehicles due to the gas shortage, and some stations have even been forced to shut down temporarily. Overall, the gas crisis has brought immense hardship to the daily lives of Dhaka's residents.
These were the scenes observed yesterday, Friday, while visiting various residential areas in the capital, including Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Rampura, Badda, Khilgaon, Jatrabari, Demra, Uttara, and Mohakhali, as well as several CNG filling stations.
From morning breakfast to lunch and dinner, city dwellers have been facing difficulties at every meal due to the gas shortage. Many families had to eat their meals long after scheduled times. Some were compelled to buy food from outside, while others used electric stoves but expressed concerns over the resulting spike in electricity costs.
Sharmin Akhtar, a resident of Mirpur-11, said that when she woke up in the morning to prepare breakfast, she found there was no gas at all on the stove. After waiting for nearly two hours with no gas supply, she eventually had to send her children to school with biscuits for breakfast. Nazma Begum, a housewife from the Banshree area of Rampura, lamented that the gas pressure is so low that it takes her an hour and a half to cook just one pot of rice. By the time she finishes cooking, it is already afternoon. She added that this has become a daily occurrence. Rahima Begum, a domestic worker, shared a similar complaint: "It takes a long time to finish cooking in one house. Then I get delayed going to other houses. I'm hearing complaints from everyone."
Meanwhile, Mahbub Hossain, a resident of Mohammadpur, expressed his anger: "We pay our gas bills on time at the end of the month, but when we need gas, we don't get it. This is simply not normal."
On the other hand, the same crisis was evident at CNG filling stations across the capital. Long queues of CNG-run auto-rickshaws, private cars, microbuses, and pickups were seen from morning at several stations in Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Mirpur, and Jatrabari. Some stations had low gas pressure, while others were temporarily closed due to a halt in supply.
Md. Joynal Mia, an auto-rickshaw driver waiting in line at Mohakhali, said he hadn't been able to get gas even after standing in line for two to three hours. Being delayed in starting his trips is reducing his income. "I came here after visiting two other stations. There was no gas at one, and at another the pressure was so low I would have had to wait for hours," explained private car driver Rafiqul Islam with a sigh.
The long queues of vehicles in front of the filling stations caused traffic jams on various roads in the capital even on the holiday yesterday. Many believe the situation could have been much more severe had it been a working day. In particular, traffic in Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Mirpur, and Jatrabari was disrupted as vehicles standing in one lane obstructed the movement of others.
Officials in charge at several CNG filling stations in the capital stated that due to reduced supply, they are unable to provide gas according to demand. At times, the gas pressure is so low that vehicles cannot be filled at a normal rate.
Residents of the city complain that the gas crisis has become even more acute over the past few days. Cooking problems in homes, long waits at filling stations, and the resulting traffic congestion on roads have made daily life miserable. Those affected have called for urgent measures to normalize the gas supply.
