Residents of Jurain and Shyampur areas in Dhaka, Bangladesh, staged a protest near the Jurain railway gate on the evening of September 4, objecting to prolonged shortages of gas and electricity.
Around 50 residents formed a human chain at approximately 5:00 pm and later brought out a torch procession. The protesters demanded an immediate resolution to the gas and electricity shortages and warned that they would launch stronger movements if the situation remained unresolved.
Speakers at the protest said around 1.5 to 2 million people in Jurain, Shyampur and surrounding areas had been suffering from unstable gas and electricity supplies for a prolonged period.
Social activist Sagor Islam questioned whether the government had a concrete plan to address the ongoing gas and electricity shortages.
He said several areas of Dhaka, including Jurain and Shyampur, had been experiencing prolonged power outages, with electricity reportedly being cut four to five times a day and each outage lasting around 40 to 45 minutes.
He also alleged that affluent neighbourhoods and areas where senior government officials reside experience fewer power disruptions.
According to Sagor, officials from Titas Gas recently found water inside some gas pipelines in the area and said the situation could be contributing to low gas pressure.
Another Jurain resident, Mizanur Rahman, said many households in the Dhaka-4 constituency had been facing inadequate gas supplies for days, weeks and, in some cases, years, despite continuing to pay their gas bills.
“It makes us question whether the authorities really want to solve Bangladesh’s gas and electricity crisis, or whether they intend to continue along the same path,” Mizanur said.
Mizanur, who became known through a movement against WASA during the Awami League government, urged residents to overcome their fear, organise themselves and press the authorities for solutions.
He said the crisis would not be resolved simply by going from one government office to another and pleading with officials unless a significant number of residents took to the streets to demand action.
The protesters said they would continue organising local residents and hold further protest programmes if the gas and electricity shortages were not addressed urgently.
The demonstration ended with a torch procession on the evening of September 4.
Ref: Bangladesh Media.
