Gazipur garment factories reopen amid persistent gas shortages

Garment factories in Gazipur, Bangladesh, have largely reopened today after announcing a three-day closure starting Thursday due to critically low gas pressure. The majority of the over 200 small and subcontracting factories that halted operations are now back online, though the underlying issue of gas scarcity persists.

An official from the Gazipur Industrial Police confirmed that most factories resumed operations today, with the remaining expected to follow suit tomorrow. Crucially, no factory has reported remaining closed solely because of the ongoing gas crisis, suggesting a collective effort to restart production despite the challenges.

However, the gas shortage continues to severely impact factory operations. Mazharul Alam Milon, admin officer at ABM Fashion Ltd, stated that while the factory reopened and is running all sections, the gas supply remains insufficient. Similarly, an official from Azim Textile Ltd described the gas crisis as "severe," making it difficult to maintain normal production levels. Workers have reported that the lack of gas often leads to idle machinery, particularly affecting dyeing, stenter, and compressor machines.

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The gas crisis remained severe, making it difficult to operate the factory.

Mohammad Saifuzzaman Bhuiyan, operations manager for Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company in Gazipur, highlighted the scale of the problem. The city's daily gas demand stands at approximately 550 million cubic feet, while the available supply is only around 300 million cubic feet, creating a substantial deficit.

Some factory management may have strategically combined the low gas pressure with their weekly holidays to provide workers with time off. Ashrafuzzaman, central organizing secretary of the National Garment Workers Federation Bangladesh, noted that production shortfalls might be compensated by operating on subsequent Fridays. Attempts to reach Titas Gas's Gazipur manager for comment were unsuccessful.

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several machines often remain idle because of the gas shortage.