The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) urged the government to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to various industrial zones across the country, such as Savar, Ashulia, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Narsingdi, on a priority basis.
The trade body representing primary textile mills also highlighted that its member factories have been facing disruptions in production over the past three years due to severe gas and electricity crisis.
Over more than one month, the average PSI of gas has been zero to 2.0 in BTMA member mills located in different industrial zones, forcing them to use only 50 per cent of their production capacity.
BTMA president Mohammad Ali Khokon made the pleas in a letter to Bangladesh Oil Gas and Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla) Chairman Zanendra Nath Sarker on Tuesday.
Although gas prices rose to Tk 31.50 per cubic metre from Tk 16 over the last one a half years, gas supply situation did not improve to the required level, he said in the letter.
Textile mills can't meet the deadline for export work orders as their production has severely been affected due to poor gas supply, he said. On the other hand, they are losing competitiveness because of rising production costs.
He expressed concerns about an "uncertain" situation arising regarding timely wage and festival allowance payments before Eid-ul-Azha. He warned that this uncertainty could potentially worsen the law and order situation.
"And factory managements would not be responsible for any untoward situation, if any, over wage and festival allowance payments," Mr Khokon said.
According to BTMA, most of the spinning, weaving, dying-printing- finishing mills run through generating captive power and their boilers also require gas. Uninterrupted and regular gas supply is a must in both cases.
The BTMA president said despite repeated requests to concerned government agencies for uninterrupted gas supply, there is no improvement in the situation.
If such situation persists, it is uncertain how long the factories would be able to run, he said, urging the government to take immediate measures to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to the mills.
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