Bangladesh Government Marks Seven Months in Office Amid Reforms and Gas Supply Updates

The government of Bangladesh officially marked its seven-month milestone on September 16 with a comprehensive press conference held at the Prime Minister's Office in Dhaka. During the briefing, Mahdī Amin outlined the administration's achievements since taking office on February 17 under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Amin stated that the elected government has been actively rebuilding the nation from what he described as the destruction of a sixteen-year authoritarian rule. He emphasized that through specific work plans, transparency, and accountability, the administration remains firmly committed to the genuine welfare of the public, noting that the ultimate source of power rests with the people.

A significant highlight of the briefing was the announcement regarding international financial standings. Mahdī Amin shared that international credit rating agency Moody's shifted Bangladesh's status from negative to stable. According to the spokesperson, this development establishes Bangladesh as a globally stable state for investment. Officials believe this upgrade will not only boost foreign investment and elevate the nation's international prestige but also positively impact trade, investment, and employment opportunities, particularly empowering women and youth. Furthermore, the administration highlighted several prospective welfare initiatives, including a national pay scale ranging from a minimum of 20,000 taka to a maximum of 1,56,000 taka, a monthly allowance of 3,000 taka for children with special needs, a special national financial award of 1,000,000 taka for the top 100 meritorious teachers, and a proposal to construct free residential flats in a modern 20-story building financed by China with 10 billion taka.

On the economic and industrial front, the administration addressed recent measures taken to ease energy shortages. Mahdī Amin noted that following the Prime Minister's recent meetings with business leaders and the media to resolve supply crises swiftly, implementation began immediately. Official statistics presented during the event indicated that total gas supply increased slightly, moving from 2,606 million cubic feet to 2,508 million cubic feet, representing a reported increase of 4 million cubic feet compared to the previous day. Specifically, gas supply to power plants was raised from 884 million cubic feet to 931 million cubic feet. Despite these administrative increases, ground-level reactions varied among residents and sector representatives. Nasrin Akhter reported receiving good gas supply, while Shawkat Akhter stated that gas had still not arrived in their area, forcing them to continue using electric stoves for cooking. Runa Akhter mentioned that gas had returned in the morning, but low pressure significantly prolonged cooking times. Farhan Nur, representing CNG filling station owners, noted that while stations previously lacking gas were now receiving supplies, low pressure persisted and caused ongoing hardships.

Elaborating on the distribution constraints, Saiful Hasan from Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company explained that under their jurisdiction, the demand ranges between 1,900 and 2,000 million cubic feet, while current supply stands at approximately 14 million cubic feet. Out of this allocation, 222 million cubic feet are directed to electricity generation, 70 million cubic feet to fertilizer production, and the remainder distributed among industrial, CNG, and residential sectors, with industries receiving the highest share. Hasan cautioned that low pressure remains a reality and cannot be mitigated without further increases in overall supply.

Meanwhile, the energy situation impacted the power sector, as detailed by Jahurul Islam. Although gas-based power plants delivered 5,300 megawatts of electricity by the evening, coal-fired plants could not operate at full capacity. Islam pointed out that one unit of the Rampal power plant was currently shut down but expected to resume production around September 17 to 18, while a unit of the Matarbari power plant halted operations that very morning. These closures, combined with ongoing maintenance and conservation work across multiple facilities, directly contributed to persistent power deficits and load shedding across the country despite the marginal rise in fuel supply.