Gas supply to Chattagram and elsewhere has started to improve after a floating LNG terminal in Moheshkhali resumed production after its 45-day scheduled maintenance programme. “Excelerate Energy’s FSRU started production after scheduled maintenance today. Now it has been supplying 230 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd) and hopefully the supply will reach 500 mmcfd soon,” said a top official of the Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL). The RPGCL, a subsidiary of state-owned Petrobangla, has been responsible to import LNG from abroad and receive re-gasification service from the existing two LNG terminals in Moheshkhali, one set up by Summit Group and another by US-based Excelerate Energy. Each LNG terminal has a capacity to supply 500 mmcfd gas to the national gas network from which a major portion is supplied to Chattagram . Read: Energy Division regrets inconvenience from gas crisis in Chattagram, elsewhere The Excelerate Energy’s FSRU went on a 45-day maintenance programme suspending supply of gas to the national gas grid while the Summit’s FSRU experienced a technical fault halting gas supply to the national gas network, leading to a severe gas crisis in Chattagram and elsewhere. Many areas in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur experienced extreme gas crises or low pressure problems. The RPGCL official, however, informed that Summit’s FSRU also resumed production to a very low scale and it is providing a supply of 130 mmcfd against its capacity of 500 mmcfd. He noted that the gas shortage problem is unlikely to be fully resolved as the Summit’s FSRU also has a schedule to start maintenance programme within 3-4 days. Read: Uninterrupted gas supply by 2026 : Nasrul Hamid outlines energy plans “We think the situation will improve to some extent, but not fully”, he told UNB. The Energy Division on Friday expressed regrets for the inconvenience caused to consumers over the gas crisis in Chattogram and elsewhere in the country due to the suspension of the LNG supply from FSRU in Moheshkhali following a technical fault there. In a press release, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division said that due to a technical fault at a Moheshkhali LNG FSRU, gas supply to Chattogram and other areas of the country remained suspended since early morning on Friday. Read more: Acute gas crisis hits Chattogram city residents hard

Different areas in Chattogram city have been experiencing shortage or low pressure in gas supply for the past one and a half months, hampering the household chores and production at industrial units. City dwellers said although the gas crisis started in the mid October, it has intensified recently. Some of them alleged that they do not get any gas even in 24 hours. According to Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL), the gas shortage in Chattogram port city turned acute due to suspension of gas supply from one of the two LNG terminals in Moheshkhali. Besides, the authorities also suspended gas supply in households due to maintenance purposes. KGDCL authorities said Chattogram used to some 310-400 million cubic feet of gas from the national grid during normal time but on January 3 it reveived only 280 million cubic feet. The city dwellers have been experiencing the gas crisis since October 22 and gas supply remains suspended from 9 am to 3 pm in most of the areas. Industries in Dhaka, adjoining areas to get Bhola’s gas in CNG form KGDCL authorities said the gas shortage may continue for a long time due to low pressure of gas supply from Moheshkhali LNG gas terminal. Meanwhile, Omar Hazzaz, president, Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCCI), urged State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid to take necessary steps to mitigate the sufferings of the consumers. He also sent a letter to the minister on Wednesday. “Chattogram needs 400-450 million cubic feet of gas but only 280 million cubic feet is available now. Of the total gas, nearly 100 million cubic feet gas is used in two fertilizer factories and one thermal power plant while the rest are being distributed to the residents, industries and CNG filling stations, which is not sufficient,” the letter reads. The rest of the gas is being distributed to a large number of residential consumers in the city, factories and CNG stations using various strategic methods. As a result, the factories and households are facing a serious gas crisis, it added. Industries in Dhaka, adjoining areas to get Bhola’s gas in CNG form Managing director of KGDCL (operation division), Engineer Aminur Rahman, said the people of Chattogram port city depend on LNG gas supply and the supply of gas has reduced remarkably. “It is difficult to say how long the crisis will stay,” he added. Talking to some residents in Lalkhan Bazar, Kazir Dewri, Askar DighirPar, Khulshi, Jamal Khan lane, Dewanji Pukur Par, Dewan Bazar, Hem Sen Lane, Shulokbohor, Ghat Farhadbegh, Bakolia, Chawkbazar and others area, this UNB correspondent found that people of those areas are passing their days in misery during this winter. Many residents of the areas said it is not new. Every year they experience gas crisis from November to February. Shahnur Sultana, an employee of a bank, said “Now I have to leave my house in the morning without having any breakfast as there is no gas in my house in the morning. We have to buy food from a local hotel.” KGDCL authorities said the gas supply to the domestic consumers has been disrupted as they have to supply gas to Chattogram Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) and Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (KFCL). Raid Uddin Ahmed, General Manager (Marketing, South Division) of KGDCL, said two Moheshkhali LNG terminals supply a total of 800-900 million cubic feet of gas to the national grid but now supply from one of them has been suspended due to maintenance work. The supply situation will improve after the completion of the maintenance work, he added. There are 6,01,914 consumers under KGDCL and of these, 5,97,516 connections are given to households. Gas supply from Bhola to Dhaka’s industries in CNG form begins

Three school children were injured as a nor'wester, locally called Kalbaisakhi, blew down a school in Cox's Bazar's Moheshkhali Saturday. The storm destroyed Bangabandhu Private Primary School in Hoanak Purbo Horiar Chara. The injured are kindergarten students Muntaha Begum, Mobasshera Begum; and first-grader Faria Sultana. Classes started at Bangabandhu Primary School, as usual, in the morning. Thirty minutes later, heavy rains, thunderstorms and strong winds pounded the primary school made of wood and corrugated iron sheets, causing widespread damage and leaving three students injured, Rahamat Ullah, headteacher of the school, said. The critically injured Muntaha was first taken to Maheshkhali Upazila Health Complex and then to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital. Mobasshera and Faria are now undergoing treatment at Maheshkhali Upazila Health Complex. The upazila administration will give financial assistance to the school for its reconstruction, Maheshkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Yaseen said. Also read: Nor’wester claims two lives in Bogura

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Monday night arrested three people, including the prime accused, in connection with the killing of former pirate Alauddin of Moheshkhali. The arrestees have been identified as Rafikul Islam Prakash Mamun (28), the prime accused, Md Rifat (23) and Ayub Ali (40). A RAB-15 team arrested Mamun and Rifat around 7pm during a raid in the Faitong area under Lama police station limits in Bandarban, following a tip-off. Also read: Pirate ringleader held in Khulna Alauddin was nabbed later from the Pahartali area of Cox’s Bazar, after Mamun gave information about his whereabouts during interrogation, according to RAB. On November 5, around 8pm some assailants killed Alauddin, 26, the former pirate, in the Chamiraghona Kalur bridge area of Kalamar Chara union in Cox’s Bazar. Also read: ‘Pirate’ killed in Bhola ‘gunfight’ The next day, Alauddin’s brother Sumon Uddin filed a complaint at the Moheshkhali police station. Followed by the complaint, police filed a murder case under penal code 302/34. RAB members claimed to have recovered the guns used in the crime. "Efforts are on to arrest the other accused," an officer said.

Between 5-6 March, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in coordination with the Moheshkhali Upazila administration and other governmental bodies is conducting a “Safety at Sea” training for 200 boatmen based on the island of Moheshkhali, with the support of the  Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).