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What went wrongCNG autorickshaw drivers in Chattogram, in a Prothom Alo report

From 1,500-2,000 taka a day to 600, with the rest of the day in the gas queue

After a fire at the floating LNG terminal off Maheshkhali, gas supply in Chattogram broke down. Refuelling that once took 20-30 minutes now means four to six hours in a queue, and one driver's daily takings fell from 1,500-2,000 taka to 600.

After a fire at the floating LNG terminal off Maheshkhali on 21 July 2026, gas supply in Chattogram broke down: the city gas company was receiving 190 million cubic feet a day against demand of 350 million, with 50 million allocated to CNG. Autorickshaw drivers lost most of their working hours standing in filling station queues — refuelling that once took 20 to 30 minutes was taking four to six hours or more. One driver queued from 4am and still had no gas at 10am; another waited eight hours for gas that ran his vehicle for only two. A driver whose normal day brings 1,500 to 2,000 taka made 600 in a day, and expected worse to come. As one of them put it: "Half the day goes just getting gas. After that, how much fare can I possibly earn on the road?" What the drivers pay the vehicle owners each day is not stated in the report.

Lessons

  1. 1.Income from a CNG autorickshaw depends on fuel supply, and a single terminal accident can cut daily takings by two-thirds
  2. 2.The biggest hidden cost in this trade is the working hours lost in the queue, not the fuel price

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