Four Top Bangladesh Trade Bodies Seek Zonal Gas Rationing To Avert Factory Shutdowns

🔥 Four major trade associations representing Bangladesh's multi-billion-dollar garment and textile export sector have submitted a joint petition to state-owned Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL), calling for immediate gas reallocation and a weekly zonal rationing scheme to prevent widespread factory shutdowns. The joint letter — signed by leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) and the Bangladesh Terry Towel and Linen Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BTTLEMA) — represents the most coordinated industry advocacy on gas supply since the crisis began.

📊 The associations said a severe disparity in gas distribution has left major manufacturing hubs under-pressurised, hampering production and putting export deadlines at risk. According to data cited in the letter, more than 90% of Bangladesh's textile and garment manufacturing base is concentrated within the Titas Gas franchise area. Roughly 6,500 textile and garment factories, or 94% of the country's total, fall under the area. These factories employ 1.2 crore workers, or 92% of the sector's workforce, and generate $52 billion in export earnings, the trade bodies said.

💰 Supply Disparity: Titas Shortfall, Others Oversupplied

An analysis of gas supply over five days, from 5 to 9 September 2026, showed a significant disparity in supply, according to the letter. Titas accounts for 75.88%, or 1,488 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), of the national approved industrial and captive gas load, according to the associations. GTCL is supposed to supply Titas with 980 mmcfd, but its actual daily gas receipt averaged 883.20 mmcfd during the period, according to the letter, leaving a daily shortfall of 96.80 mmcfd.

• 👥 Factories in Titas area: 6,500 (94% of total)
• 👥 Workers employed: 1.2 crore (92% of sector)
• 💰 Export earnings: $52 billion
• 📊 Titas approved load: 1,488 mmcfd (75.88% of national)
• 📊 Titas allocation: 980 mmcfd
• 📊 Titas actual receipt: 883.20 mmcfd
• 📊 Daily shortfall: 96.80 mmcfd
• 📊 Other zones excess: 70.37 mmcfd above proportional share
• 📅 Analysis period: September 5-9, 2026

📜 Proposed Zonal Rationing: 5 Days Full, 2 Days Limited

At the same time, some areas were receiving gas above their allocated levels, the trade bodies said. Five other regional gas distribution companies received 373.60 mmcfd, exceeding their proportional share by 70.37 mmcfd, according to the letter. The associations proposed dividing major industrial clusters into separate zones, with each zone receiving full gas flow and adequate pressure for five continuous days a week, followed by two days of planned shutdown or limited supply. They said the rationing schedule should take into account continuous-process plants, boilers, export delivery schedules, labour laws and safety protocols.

The zonal rationing proposal — 5 days full supply, 2 days limited — would provide predictable supply patterns that allow factories to plan production schedules around the gas availability cycle. The current unpredictable supply pattern — where factories receive varying gas pressure on a daily basis without advance notice — makes production planning impossible and forces factories to maintain diesel backup capacity that is both expensive and operationally inefficient. A predictable rationing schedule, even if it means 2 days of reduced supply per week, would be operationally superior to the current chaotic supply pattern.

🤝 Immediate Reallocation Demand

The trade bodies also urged GTCL to immediately reallocate excess gas from other distribution zones to the Titas region and ensure adequate line pressure for factory machinery to operate safely and efficiently. They called for the rapid implementation of a weekly, zone-based rationing schedule across major industrial belts to minimise production disruptions and protect economic activity. The reallocation demand — shifting 70 mmcfd of excess supply from other zones to the Titas area — would reduce the Titas shortfall from 97 mmcfd to approximately 27 mmcfd, a meaningful improvement that could restore production capacity at many factories currently operating below capacity.

🌏 Strategic Context: $52 Billion Export Sector At Risk

For Bangladesh's broader export economy, the gas supply disparity in the Titas area carries enormous strategic significance. The 6,500 factories concentrated in the Titas franchise area generate $52 billion in export earnings — representing the overwhelming majority of Bangladesh's total merchandise exports. The 97 mmcfd daily gas shortfall in this critical manufacturing belt directly constrains the country's export capacity, affecting delivery schedules, buyer relationships and the sector's ability to maintain competitiveness against regional rivals.

The four trade bodies' coordinated advocacy — BGMEA, BKMEA, BTMA and BTTLEMA representing the full value chain from textile manufacturing through garment production — sends a powerful signal to GTCL and the Energy Ministry about the urgency of addressing the supply disparity. The coming weeks will reveal whether GTCL responds with immediate reallocation and zonal rationing implementation — or whether the gas supply disparity persists, continuing to constrain Bangladesh's $52 billion export manufacturing base.