20pc factories in Gazipur announce four-day holiday amid gas crisis

Amid worsening gas crisis in the Gazipur industrial belt, nearly 20 percent of factories in the district have announced a four-day holiday aligning with government holidays. This has led to hundreds of garment workers heading to their village homes, while factory owners have expressed concerns over timely export orders being disrupted due to production interruptions.

The holiday, which began on Wednesday, August 5, has resulted in increased crowds at various bus stands and transport counters on the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways. Heavy passenger pressure was particularly observed on buses heading to various districts in the northern region.

Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Md Amjad Hossain said around 20 percent of factories in the district have declared a four-day holiday. Many workers are taking the opportunity to go to their village homes to spend time with their families.

Konabari Highway Police Inspector Zafar Ali said traffic pressure increased on the Dhaka-Tangail highway from Tuesday night, particularly at the Chandra tri-mohona intersection and other areas. Slow-moving traffic was also observed on Wednesday morning.

According to Industrial Police sources, most of the factories that have been shut down due to the gas crisis are in the readymade garment, textile, knitting, dyeing and washing sectors. Many establishments have decided to continue production on a limited scale until gas supply normalises.

Kafil Uddin, a worker at a garment factory in the Chandra area, said it is good to be able to go home for a few days when there is no work. However, he expressed hope that the gas crisis would be resolved quickly so that factories could resume full operations.

Industrial entrepreneurs said production disruptions due to the gas crisis are making it difficult to deliver goods to international buyers on time, raising concerns about a potential drop in new orders.

Chairman of Stylish Garments Ltd, Md Salauddin Chowdhury, said the ongoing gas crisis is adversely affecting production and export activities. If the situation persists, the country's readymade garment sector could face major challenges.

According to Titas Gas authorities, the daily gas demand in Gazipur is approximately 550 million cubic feet, but currently only around 300 million cubic feet can be supplied. This has created a daily shortfall of about 200 million cubic feet.

Manager of Titas Gas's System Operation and Maintenance branch, Md Saifuzzaman, said there is currently a gas shortage of around 45 percent in the district. The impact is being felt most acutely in factories in the Kaliakair, Sreepur and Tongi BSCIC industrial areas. He said necessary steps are being taken to resolve the crisis.

Industry insiders fear that if gas supply is not normalised quickly, production disruptions could also negatively affect the country's export earnings.