Bangladesh lost an estimated 1,796 million cubic meters (mmcm) of natural gas in fiscal year 2024–25, enough to keep 30 lakh household burners alight for an entire year.

The loss is valued at around Tk 41.07 billion, reported the Daily Star.

According to official data, system loss, comprising theft, illegal connections, leaks, metering errors, and mismanagement, stood at about 7 percent of the average daily gas supply of 2,526 million cubic feet (mmcfd) in FY25, more than triple the 2 percent ceiling permitted by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC).

This translates into an average daily loss of roughly 174 mmcfd, at a time when households and industries alike are grappling with acute gas shortages.

In monetary and operational terms, the waste is staggering: the value of lost gas could fund the drilling of nearly 20 new wells or build two to three power plants with a combined capacity of up to 500 megawatts.

The six state-owned gas distribution companies collectively lost nearly Tk 46 billion last fiscal year, with Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution PLC accounting for the largest share. Titas reported a 9.47 percent system loss in FY25—up from 7.67 percent a year earlier—costing an estimated Tk 30 billion. It supplies gas across Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions, where illegal connections remain widespread, particularly in Narayanganj, Savar, Gazipur, and Munshiganj.

Despite regular drives, Titas disconnected only 1.16 lakh illegal household lines and 576 commercial and industrial connections in FY25, down sharply from 2.19 lakh and 683, respectively, the previous year. Officials admitted that anti-theft operations slowed during parts of the year, limiting their impact.

Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Limited recorded the highest losses in percentage terms, with 9.8 percent of its allocated gas—worth about Tk 6 billion—unaccounted for in FY25. The company, which serves six districts in the Chattogram region, cited aging pipelines and poor maintenance as major causes.

Petrobangla data show that the distributors collectively disconnected more than 96,000 household lines and over 500 industrial and commercial connections between January and August this year, removing 197 kilometers of illegal pipelines and repairing 25,000 leaks nationwide.

Energy experts say the persistence of high system losses reflects weak enforcement and aging infrastructure. Adviser to the energy ministry, Fouzul Kabir Kha,n recently criticized the lack of progress, noting that “illegal gas lines are being set up immediately after the drives end.”

Bangladesh currently has around 43 lakh registered household gas users under the six distributors. Residential connections have remained suspended since 2009, as the government prioritizes supply to industry and power generation.