Bangladesh Seeks Malaysia’s Assistance to Resolve Critical Natural Gas Shortage

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Prime Minister Tareq Rahman has reached out to his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, seeking urgent assistance to alleviate a severe natural gas shortage currently paralyzing Bangladesh’s energy sector. Following a formal letter delivered to Kuala Lumpur by the Prime Minister’s education advisor, Mahdi Amin, the two leaders held a telephone conversation on Tuesday to discuss potential emergency supplies.

The diplomatic outreach comes as Bangladesh grapples with a deepening fuel crisis triggered by the closure of a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, which has disrupted supply chains for over a week. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit confirmed that Prime Minister Ibrahim has pledged his full support, promising to coordinate with relevant Malaysian ministries to identify how his nation can best assist in stabilizing Bangladesh’s energy infrastructure.

While the government seeks international support, authorities are simultaneously exploring alternative sourcing options to mitigate the impact on domestic households, industrial operations, and the power sector. State Minister Amit acknowledged the significant hardship caused by the current deficit, expressing his regret to the public as the government maneuvers through limited supply alternatives.

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Officials are working around the clock to restore the non-operational terminal, which is critical to the nation’s energy security. According to the State Ministry, the facility is vital, as it is capable of injecting between 500 million and 550 million cubic feet of gas into the national grid daily. Once repairs are completed in coordination with Excelerate Energy, the ministry expects a partial recovery of 280 to 300 million cubic feet per day by next week, with a full restoration of supply anticipated shortly thereafter.

While the government remains in active discussions with terminal operators and international partners, Minister Amit emphasized that long-term energy stability depends on the development of permanent, land-based LNG terminals. A dedicated task force remains engaged with technical teams to accelerate the restart of the floating unit, while the administration continues to evaluate the timeline for potential relief from Malaysian energy reserves.