Bangladesh’s worsening gas and electricity shortages are severely disrupting energyintensive industries, with plastic and ceramic manufacturers reporting sharp production declines, rising costs and growing risks to exports.
Industry leaders said many factories are operating at less than half of their capacity, while some have temporarily suspended production.
The crisis has intensifi ed following a technical failure at a fl oating LNG terminal, which reduced national gas supplies by around 450 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD).
The plastic industry has been particularly affected because injection molding, blow molding and extrusion require uninterrupted power and gas.
According to the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association, around 300 plastic factories have suspended production, mostly small and mediumsized enterprises, while many others are operating at only 30-40% capacity