Though the government has suspended domestic pipeline gas connections since 2013, some dishonest staff and contractors of Titas Gas have learnt to provide hundreds of residential buildings and households with pipeline gas connections illegally in Narayanganj.
It is learnt, the authorities of Titas Gas often conduct drives against those illegal gas lines but, after a day or two, all those disconnected gas lines are restored again mysteriously.
It is further learnt, a section of dishonest staff of Titas Gas are involved with such malpractice who inform the illegal gas consumers ahead of any drive conducted by the Titas Gas authorities and, by being informed, those illegal consumers uninstall their gas regulators earlier to avoid any action against them.
During the last ten years, a large number of residential buildings have been constructed in Narayanganj and most of those building owners have connected their buildings with pipeline gas connections allegedly by paying a huge amount of kickback to the concerned staff and contractors of Titas Gas. On October 18, 2023, the Fatulla Zone Manager of Titas Gas conducted a drive against the illegal gas lines and disconnected several hundreds of such illegal connections.
Soon after the disconnection drive, the illegal gas consumers rushed to a local contractor of Titas who is learnt to reestablish those connections. He also allegedly realised Tk. 20,000 from all those illegal consumers to reinstall the gas regulator.
Three illegal gas consumers requesting anonymity informed, they paid Tk. 100,000 each to the local contractor of Titas five years ago on the assurance of making their illegal gas connections legal but no step has so far been taken in this regard.
Consumers Kulsum Begum, Mosharaf Hossain and Hazi Bodu Mia of Deovhog area struck a deal against a huge amount of kickback with a local gas contractor to connect their buildings with gas lines.
They said, the contractor informed it was difficult for him to connect new gas lines (illegal lines) because of the action from the local journos.
Most of the illegal gas consumers, however, refused to disclose how much money they paid as kickbacks to the concerned contractors and staff of Titas for the connections. Some of them mentioned, the local contractor realised Tk. 100,000 from each gas connection and continues to realise the same amount of money after every three months for 'managing the Titas Gas authorities'.
According to sources, earlier in 2021, a contractor named Eklas Mia was sued for providing illegal gas connections to some multi-storied buildings in Narayanganj but no action has yet been taken against him so far.
Local people alleged, that another contractor Omor Faruk was continuing to provide illegal gas connections in several hundreds of residential buildings and he has build up huge properties and amassed huge cash through such illegal acts but no action has also been taken against him from any quarter. Local residents of Narayanganj demanded an immediate legal action against Omor Faruk. Mashiur Rahman, Executive Engineer-cum-Manager of Titas Gas could not be reached over his phone for comment in connection with the incidents.