Cost and supply chain analysis
The immediate pressure point is energy availability. According to Petrobangla, Bangladesh requires about *,*** million cubic feet of gas per day but is currently supplying only *,*** million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), comprising *,*** mmcfd from domestic production and *** mmcfd from imported liquefied natural gas (LNG). A Titas Gas official told a media agency that Gazipur requires ***–*** mmcfd but receives only around *** mmcfd, forcing factories to rely on significantly more expensive diesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) to maintain production.
QatarEnergy, Bangladesh**;s largest LNG supplier, declared force majeure on March *, **** after Iranian strikes damaged facilities at Ras Laffan. According to The Business Standard, the disruption reduces Bangladesh**;s scheduled LNG deliveries from Qatar from ** cargoes to ** in ****, equivalent to about **.* per cent of the country**;s planned *** LNG cargo imports. QatarEnergy chief executive officer Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi has said repairs are expected to take three to five years. BGMEA president Mahmud Hasan Khan estimates that member factories are operating at only **–** per cent of installed capacity. The energy shortage has therefore evolved from a temporary disruption into a structural cost disadvantage for the country**;s garment industry.
Trade and sourcing impact
