Chattogram Chamber Seeks 90-Day Moratorium on Gas, Power Bills and Loan Instalments

Chattogram, August 8, 2026 — The Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has formally requested a 90-day moratorium on gas and electricity bill payments, a waiver of penalties for delayed utility payments, and a three-month suspension of loan instalment payments for industries hit by the ongoing gas and power crisis — warning that forcing businesses to bear high costs amid severe production losses could undermine the country's investment climate.

📜 Letters to Two Ministers

In separate letters sent on August 8 to the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood and the Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, CCCI President Mohammad Amirul Haque outlined the devastating impact of sustained utility disruptions on industrial production and called for immediate government intervention.

The chamber said sustained disruptions in gas and electricity supply had severely hit production at export-oriented garment, textile, and plastic factories, as well as small, medium, and large manufacturing units nationwide. Many factories, it said, had either shut down or gone into effective layoff as a result — echoing the findings of the Industrial Police, who reported that 17-18 percent of Gazipur factories had shut down and more than 20 percent of garment factories had declared a three-day break.

⚠️ Utility Bill Moratorium: 90 Days Penalty-Free

In his letter to the power and energy minister, the CCCI president said almost all factories had suffered substantial financial losses due to the reduced and erratic gas and power supply. As production fell, exports and sales also declined sharply — or stopped altogether in some cases — making it difficult for businesses to meet expenses such as wages, bank interest, utility bills, and daily operating costs.

The chamber urged the government to:

• 🛡️ Refrain from disconnecting gas and electricity connections to industrial units
• 📅 Replace month-to-month payment with a 90-day penalty-free grace period
• 📜 Maintain penalty-free payment facilities for at least six months
• 💰 Give businesses breathing space to recover losses and sustain production

💰 Loan Instalment Suspension: 3 Months

In a separate letter to the finance minister, the chamber sought a three-month suspension of loan instalment payments along with a waiver of bank interest for industries hit by the utility crisis. It warned that forcing businesses to keep bearing high borrowing costs amid severe production and revenue losses would deepen their financial distress — which could in turn undermine the government's efforts to accelerate industrialisation and foster a business-friendly investment climate.

• 📅 Loan instalment suspension: 3 months
• 💰 Bank interest waiver: For affected garment, export-oriented, and industrial establishments
• 🌏 Target: Garment, export-oriented, and other industrial establishments affected by gas/power disruptions

🌏 Investment Climate Warning

The chamber added that the situation could send a negative signal to local and foreign investors about the country's business environment — a particularly pointed concern given that Bangladesh is preparing for LDC graduation in November 2026 and needs to attract foreign direct investment to compensate for the loss of duty-free market access. If investors see that existing factories are unable to operate profitably due to energy shortages and financial constraints, they are unlikely to commit new investment.

The CCCI's warning is especially significant because Chattogram is Bangladesh's main port city and the gateway for the majority of the country's export trade. Factory closures or production disruptions in Chattogram have direct implications for export volumes, port throughput, and foreign exchange earnings. The chamber's call for a moratorium reflects the severity of the crisis as experienced by businesses on the ground — not just the macro-level statistics reported by government agencies.

📊 The Broader Context: Energy Crisis Impact

The CCCI's moratorium request comes against the backdrop of a gas crisis that has been intensifying since the July 21 Excelerate Energy FSRU fire. The key data points:

• 📉 Total gas supply (Aug 8): 2,367 mmcfd (vs demand of 3,800 mmcfd)
• 📉 Structural shortfall: ~1,433 mmcfd (37.7% of demand unmet)
• 🏭 Factories affected: 17-18% of Gazipur factories shut down
• 👕 Garment factories: 20%+ declared three-day break
• 🛢️ Plastic factories: Operating at 30% capacity (BPGMEA)
• 🐟 Shrimp processing: Only 8-10 of 120 plants operational in Khulna

🏛️ Precedent: COVID-Era Moratorium

The CCCI's request for a loan instalment suspension has a precedent in the COVID-19 pandemic, when Bangladesh Bank allowed deferral of loan instalment payments for businesses affected by the lockdown. The central bank's COVID-era stimulus package included a Tk 33,000 crore refinance scheme and allowed borrowers to defer instalment payments without being classified as defaulters. If a similar framework were applied to the energy crisis, it could provide immediate relief to affected businesses without requiring new government expenditure — the cost would be borne by banks in the form of delayed interest income, offset by the central bank's regulatory accommodation.

✅ What Comes Next

The finance and energy ministries will need to decide whether to accept the CCCI's moratorium proposal. If accepted, the 90-day utility bill grace period and 3-month loan instalment suspension could provide critical breathing space for factories struggling with the gas crisis — potentially preventing further closures and layoffs. If rejected, the chamber's warning about negative investment signals may prove prescient, as businesses that cannot cover their costs will be forced to shut down, reduce capacity, or relocate. The government's response to this request will be a key indicator of whether its industrial policy prioritises short-term fiscal concerns or long-term industrial survival.