Interim government Energy Adviser Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan has firmly stated that new household gas connections should remain suspended indefinitely—”even till doomsday.” His bold remark came during a press briefing on Friday, June 13, following an inspection of two gas wells in Golapganj upazila of Sylhet. “There is no possibility of gas being supplied to residential areas—not now, not ever,” Khan declared when asked about the long-standing demand by residents in gas-producing regions for household access.
Khan further expressed strong views on domestic gas consumption, claiming it leads to unnecessary wastage. “If it were up to me, I would cut off the gas supply to every home in Dhaka,” he said. According to the adviser, allowing households to use piped gas is an inefficient use of limited national resources, particularly when many industries are struggling to meet their own energy demands. “Gas for homes is a luxury we can no longer afford,” he added.
Responding to questions regarding whether residents in gas-rich areas like Sylhet would receive priority, Khan clarified that although pipeline gas for households is no longer an option, the government plans to provide affordable bottled gas (cylinder-based LPG) in those regions.
Khan also touched on the broader energy challenges Bangladesh is facing. With a consistent annual decline of 200 million cubic feet in gas production, reliance on imported LNG has increased significantly. “We are trying to boost domestic production to reduce this dependency,” he noted.
Currently, two wells—Kailashtila-7 and Sylhet-10—contribute about 16 million cubic feet of gas per day to the national grid. Khan visited these sites along with high-level officials from multiple ministries including Power, Energy and Mineral Resources; Road Transport and Bridges; and Railways.
His visit began at 9:30 AM with an inspection of Kailashtila Gas Field’s Well No. 7 and the BAPEX rig “Bijoy-12,” along with the preparation site for the workover of Kailashtila-1. Later, he visited the Kailashtila MST Plant within the same upazila.
Present at the inspection were several key figures: Additional Secretary (Operations Division) of the Energy Ministry Md. Khalid Ahmed, BAPEX/SGFL engineer and Managing Director Md. Soheb Ahmad, Petrobangla Chairman Rehsanul Islam, Additional Secretary of the Ministry Monir Hossain, and Kailashtila Gas Field DGM Faruq Ahmad, among others involved in the field operations.
As Bangladesh navigates a tightening energy landscape, the adviser’s statements underscore a significant policy shift prioritizing industrial and strategic sectors over residential convenience. While practical for resource management, the declaration is bound to stir debate, particularly among citizens still hoping for equitable access to natural gas in their homes.