To tackle the current gas crisis, the government has decided not to give any new commercial gas connections until further order. The Energy Division has recently issued a gazette notification to this effect signed by its additional secretary Mohammed Ahsanur Jabbar.
With this gazette notification, no new customer of any category, including industry, commercial and residence, will get new gas connections.
Mir Masiur Rahman, acting managing director of Titas gas distribution company, told The Independent: “We've got a gazette notification banning new gas connections for commercial purposes. Only a high-level committee is empowered to approve any gas connection. So, we’re only giving connections approved by the high-level committee headed by the energy adviser to the Prime Minister.”
Petrobangla and Titas officials said that a total of 1,000 industry and commercial applications were pending.
A business leader said industry growth had come to a halt due to lack of new gas connection.
State minister for energy, Nasrul Hamid, recently said at a seminar that gas connections for industry and commercial purposes would be given in 2017 after the LNG terminal at Moheskhali became operational.
The country has been facing an acute gas crisis as no new big gas field has been discovered over the past 16 years. The country produces about 2,700mmcf of gas, as against the demand for more than 3,200mmcf.