Despite significant natural gas reserves, Bhola remains largely disconnected from Bangladesh’s national energy grid due to inadequate infrastructure, limiting its contribution to easing the country’s ongoing gas shortage.
Recent discoveries, including the Ilisha-1 field, have reinforced Bhola’s potential, with total reserves across key fields estimated at over 1.4 trillion cubic feet. However, daily production capacity of around 200 million cubic feet remains underutilised, with actual usage far lower due to weak local demand and distribution constraints.
Efforts to transport gas via compressed natural gas (CNG) systems have proven insufficient for large-scale supply, while pipeline development—considered the most viable long-term solution—faces technical and geographical challenges and could take several years to complete.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh continues to face a widening gas deficit, relying heavily on costly LNG imports to meet demand. Industry experts emphasise the need for faster infrastructure development, expanded industrial activity in Bhola, and strategic planning to fully utilise domestic resources.
Without timely action, the region’s substantial gas potential risks remaining untapped, limiting its role in strengthening national energy security.
