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Published : 23 Jul 2026, 03:29 PM
The cause of the technical glitch that has disrupted operations at a floating LNG terminal (FSRU) in Moheshkhali has yet to be identified.
As local engineers have been unable to resolve the problem, foreign specialists are being brought in.
After inspecting the FSRU on Thursday evening, they are expected to provide an assessment of how long repairs may take and when gas supplies are likely to return to normal.
Mohammad Nasir Uddin, general manager (LNG) and Head of Installations at Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL), told bdnews24.com on Thursday that local engineers had examined the FSRU but were unable to identify the cause of the fault or fix it.
"That is why Excelerate Energy, the US company operating the terminal, is bringing in foreign experts," he said.
According to Nasir, the FSRU has not experienced this type of fault before.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG), transported by sea, is received and stored at the FSRU before being regasified and supplied to the national grid through pipelines.
As a result, any disruption to the terminal's operations reduces the volume of regasified LNG being fed into the national gas grid.
Nasir said it would not be possible to determine the nature of the fault, the extent of the damage, or the estimated repair time until the foreign experts completed their inspection.
Asked whether the terminal operator could be held responsible for the incident, he said that had not yet been determined.
"After the experts complete their assessment, liability and damages will be determined in accordance with the terms of the contract with the operator. Whether the operator will have to pay compensation, face any penalties, or bear the repair costs will also be decided under the contract."
Meanwhile, Power Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood said at a policy dialogue titled "Bangladesh's Energy Security and Transition" on Wednesday that an LNG carrier was in the process of berthing at the FSRU when the fire broke out.
The vessel was moved away in time, preventing what he described as a "major accident".
He noted that Bangladesh has only two FSRUs for receiving and regasifying LNG, meaning that any disruption at one of them places significant pressure on the country's gas supply system.
Following the shutdown of one FSRU, the volume of regasified LNG supplied to the national grid has declined, reducing gas pressure in many areas and affecting industrial consumers, CNG filling stations, and other customers.
The minister said although Bangladesh had expanded its power generation capacity over the years, the infrastructure needed to secure fuel supplies for those power plants had not been developed at the same pace.
He also said the country's energy sector had become increasingly dependent on imported fuel because of inadequate domestic gas exploration, while sufficient alternative LNG import infrastructure had not been built.
On Wednesday, Joint Secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division Monir Hossain Chowdhury said the shutdown of the FSRU had reduced gas supply to the national grid by around 450 million cubic feet per day.
He said the disruption had affected industrial facilities, power plants, CNG filling stations, and other categories of consumers. Reduced gas pressure in some areas has prevented CNG stations from receiving the volumes they require.
As a result, long queues have formed at several CNG stations, causing inconvenience to consumers.
The Energy Division said the government was continuing efforts to prioritise gas supply to essential and high-priority sectors despite the limited availability.
While the immediate cause of the current crisis is the technical fault at the FSRU, Monir said its impact has been intensified by the country's long-standing and growing dependence on imported energy.
