CNG pumps across the country will remain closed for a good six hours -- from 5pm to 11pm -- daily during Ramadan. From the beginning of Ramadan, all CNG filling stations in Bangladesh will remain closed for six hours from 5pm to 11pm until Eid-ul-Fitre instead of 6pm to 11pm, state-owned Petrobangla has announced. Petrobangla's latest decision to extend the CNG pump closure timing by an hour during the holy month comes in the wake of the volatility in the global energy market caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sources also told UNB that the ongoing energy crisis in several parts of the world, including Bangladesh, has forced the state-owned hydrocarbon corporation to issue the new instructions to the CNG pumps. Read: From Sunday, CNG pumps to stay closed from 6-10pm daily On September 16 last year, the government directed CNG outlet owners to keep their pumps shut for four hours from 6 pm to 10 pm and then extended the timing by one hour from March 1. Energy industry insiders say the country imports about 20 percent of its gas at high cost as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and re-gasify to supply the fuel to local networks. For the past few months, the price of LNG in the global market witnessed a steep hike -- from $6 per MMBtu to over $30 per MMBtu. “The recent war between Russia and Ukraine has created further volatility in the global market, which ultimately forced the authorities concerned to take such measures to reduce supply at CNG pumps,” said an energy industry insider. Read: Introduce tracking system for LPG, CNG cylinders: Nasrul Hamid  

CNG filling stations across the country will remain closed from 6-11 pm everyday instead of existing 6-10 pm, said a Petrobangla press release. The new schedule will come into effect from March 1 (Tuesday), said the release. Read: From Sunday, CNG pumps to stay closed from 6-10pm daily According to official sources, the current gas crisis forced the state-owned hydrocarbon corporation to issue the new instruction to the CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) stations to increase their non-operational time by one hour. On September 16 last year, the government had directed the CNG pumps owners to keep their pumps shut for 4 hours from 6 pm to 10 pm every day until further order against the nagging gas crisis across the country. Energy industry insiders said the country has to import about 20 percent of its gas at high cost as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and re-gasify to supply the fuel to the local networks. For the last few months, the price of LNG on the global market witnessed a sharp rise from $6 per MMBtu to over $30 per MMBtu. “The recent war between Russian and Ukraine has created further volatility on the global market which ultimately forced the authorities concerned to take such measures to reduce supply at CNG pumps,” said an energy industry insider. Read: Introduce tracking system for LPG, CNG cylinders: Nasrul Hamid Meanwhile, Farhan Noor, General Secretary of Bangladesh CNG Station Owners Association, said that the Petrobangla has assured them in a meeting last month that they would mention a specific period of time as how long the new instructions on pumps closing will remain effective. “But the Petrobangla’s new notice lacks any such indication and we’re frustrated with the new notice,” he added.