Bangladesh is currently grappling with a severe energy shortfall that has left households and industries struggling to function. Already burdened by the ripple effects of ongoing global conflicts, the situation turned critical this week after a fire broke out at one of the nation’s two vital gas regasification units in Moheshkhali. With daily gas supplies plummeting from 2.7 billion cubic feet to just 2.15 billion, residents in cities like Dhaka are being forced to return to traditional cooking methods, such as clay ovens and firewood, as grid supplies remain unreliable.

The economic impact is particularly devastating for the country’s crucial textile and garment manufacturing sector. Industry leaders report that numerous factories have been forced to halt production because they lack the fuel necessary to run captive power plants, which they rely on to avoid the volatile grid electricity. State-run energy firm Petrobangla has not provided a clear timeline for when normal services will resume, leaving business owners and citizens alike in a state of uncertainty as the country attempts to manage an energy deficit that threatens to paralyze its primary export market.