Akij Bashir Group Chief Operating Officer (COO) Mohammod Khourshed Alam has revealed that the company incurred losses of around Tk 3 billion in its ceramics production during the fiscal year 2021–22 due to persistent gas shortages.
“Gas is oxygen in ceramic production. Even a slight fluctuation in pressure during the manufacturing process can cause massive losses,” Khourshed Alam said. “We suffered a loss of nearly Tk 3 billion from Akij Ceramics during that period due to an inconsistent gas supply alone.”
He made the remarks at a policy conclave titled ‘Economy, Environment and Security’, held on Saturday at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, organized by a national newspaper.
Khourshed Alam further explained that the company was compelled to explore alternative fuels to keep operations running. “We had to resort to biomass, but it’s only a partial solution. Biomass cannot sustain full production capacity,” he noted.
With biomass proving insufficient, Akij Bashir Group turned to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in partnership with Omera LPG. However, the long-term outlook for the company’s ceramic operations remains uncertain.
“Right now, we are not considering installing any new ceramic production lines,” Khourshed Alam said, adding that the ongoing gas crisis continues to deter investment.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
