Residents in Narayanganj are grappling with increased hardships due to acute shortage in gas supply.
Due to a lack of gas supply through pipelines, residential consumers are being compelled to resort to using LPG cylinders and electric stoves.
Capitalising on the situation, businessmen are raising prices of gas cylinders and electric stoves.
Locals said the price of a 12-kg gas cylinder of an unidentified company has surged to Tk 1,500.
Local shopkeepers are charging up to Tk 1,550 for cylinders from reputable companies, they alleged.
Ameena Begum, a resident of Choudhury Bari in the port area, said , "Due to the unavailability of gas, I am now using an electric stove."
This shift has resulted in an additional burden for households, as the monthly electricity bills for electric stoves range from Tk 1,200 to Tk 1,500, said some locals.
Maksuda Begum, a housewife in the Masdair area, said, "Despite having gas, I resort to electric stoves because they are more reliable."
The gas crisis is not limited to Narayanganj Sadar; various areas including Paikpara, Baburail, Deobhog, Nimtala, Nitai Gonj, Tamakpatti, Amlapara, and Kaliar Bazar, are experiencing gas crisis.
Residents from these areas are contacting the gas company's complaint centre and expressing their frustration over the situation.
The struggle of residents is especially intense in areas like Kashipur, Masdair, and Baraibhoga.
A local organisation, "We, the Residents of Narayanganj" has initiated efforts and submitted a memorandum to the regional office of Titas Gas.
The organisation's president, Noor Uddin Ahmed, emphasised the need to end the malpractices of Titas Gas employees, which, according to him, are the root cause of the ongoing gas crisis.
