Production in garment factories in Savar and Ashulia industrial belt has been severely disrupted due to fuel oil shortage, persistent load shedding and rising energy costs, industry sources said on Tuesday.

Factory owners and officials said overall production has dropped by around 15 to 20 percent as frequent power cuts and fuel shortages continue to affect operations and logistics.

At AKH Group in Hemayetpur, Deputy Managing Director Abul Kashem said production is falling by nearly 10 percent daily due to energy constraints. He added that transportation has become a major challenge as fuel shortages are delaying shipment of finished goods.

Even when production is completed, delayed shipment is creating bigger problems. Sometimes covered vans are getting stranded on the way due to fuel shortage, forcing us to miss shipment schedules, he said, adding that foreign buyers are already reducing purchase orders.

He urged the government to take urgent steps to stabilize the energy supply for the apparel sector.

During visits to several factories, including Al Muslim Group and JK Group, it was found that production is being maintained using gas-run generators due to electricity shortages.

JK Group General Manager Mahbub Alam said their daily output has dropped from 100,000–110,000 pieces to around 80,000–90,000 pieces. In some cases, exporters are forced to send goods by air at higher costs to meet deadlines.

At Standard Group’s Stitchers Ltd in Karanpara, production has also declined significantly, with output falling from 15,000–20,000 pieces to around 10,000 per day, officials said.

Dhaka Palli Bidyut Samity-1 Senior General Manager Akhtaruzzaman Laskar said electricity supply remains below demand due to fuel and generation constraints, but government initiatives are underway to improve the situation soon.