Chittagong has been facing gas crisis despite establishing a seperate zone for the division one year ago.

The situation has not improved as Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL) could not give new gas connection to the customers.

Industrialists, businessmen as well as KGDCL officers demanded additional gas from the national grid and Samutang field in Manikchhari of Khagrachhari where Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration & Production Company (Bapex) already began to extract gas.

KGDCL sources said at least 12,000 residential customers submitted their demand note for gas connection two years ago. But the government stopped giving new connection for industries in 2009 and for households in 2010.

A senior KGDCL official preferring anonymity said they do not find any reason to stop giving the new connection as it will take only one million cubic feet (mcf) for the customers applied for residential connection. He said it has 3.15 lakh customers, of them, 3.10 lakh are household consumers and 4,130 of industries and businesses. Total demand for gas in Chittagong is about 398 million cubic feet per day whereas KGDCL is capable of supplying on an average 225 million cubic feet per day. He said the government has stopped supply to Chittagong

Urea Fertiliser Company Limited (CUFL) and Karnaphuli Fertliser Company (Kafco) due to shortage of gas.

General Manager (marketing) Engineer Shamsur Rahman Khan said KGDCL has no power to improve the present situation as every thing is decided by Bapex or the government. He said the Samutang field will take almost one year to begin full production.

He said though there has been no official order, the government has the desire to supply Chittagong with gas from the Samutang field. According to information from Bapex, he said this field will add approximately 18 to 20 million cubic feet gas to the national grid daily and the rest to Chittagong that will help reduce the shortage.

He said it is not possible to say when the new connections will be given.

BGMEA First Vice-President Nasir Uddin Chowdhury said due to shortage of gas, many industries can not go for full production hampering the new investments. Demanding new connection for the industries, he said the government should allow the industries of Chittagong to use gas from Samutang field.

A source at KGDCL said they have already started the project of establishing new supply line of 65-kilometre to supply gas from Samutang field to the supply allotted for Chittagong.

He said Bapex gave them a signal to add gas from Sundalpur gas field of Noakhali to Chittagong region.