Cut illegal gas connections for smooth supply to industries

Bangladesh Garment Manufactur-ers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the government to cut all illegal gas connections in the country to ensure smooth supply of gas to legal users, including industries.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan made the call on Sunday in a meeting with Senior Secretary at Energy and Mineral Resources Division Md Mahbub Hossain at the latter's secretariat office in the city.
Unauthorised gas connections deprive the government of a huge amount of revenue and also pose a risk of fire accidents, said Mr Hassan.
Moreover, he said, illegal connections take a huge amount of gas supply, putting pressure on the main line and ultimately causing problems for the legal users including industrial sectors.
Inadequate gas supply and low pressure disrupt industrial production, causing problems for the export oriented industries, including garment and textile sectors, which have to maintain lead time in shipping goods, Mr Hassan pointed out.
The BGMEA president assured the senior secretary of all-out cooperation from BGMEA to the government in its drive to sever unauthorised gas connections, especially in the industrial zones.
The apex apparel trade body's Vice President Shahidullah Azim and Managing Director of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited Haronur Rashid Mullah were also present at the meeting.
They discussed the present situation of the apparel industry, especially current demand and supply of natural gas in garment and textile industries, and the future demand scenario.
Earlier on Thursday, the government, followed by the demands of different trade bodies including BGMEA, lifted its decision to ration gas supply to all industries, including textile and readymade garment industries, for four hours a day.
On April 12, the government ordered gas rationing for industrial clients across the country, requesting them to cease consuming natural gas for four hours daily from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm for 15 days.
The decision of gas rationing was to stave off an acute gas crisis that had been affecting household and industrial consumers in the ongoing month of Ramadan when the use of gas in households normally goes up significantly.

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