Dhaka, Dec. 23 -- Across Dhaka this winter, the gas grid has drawn an invisible line.

On one side, factory floors hum uninterrupted, their boilers fed by steady pressure. On the other, kitchens flicker with weak flames, leaving some citizens waiting through long mornings for gas to return.

In the residential areas, some speak of low pressure, while others -- sometimes just streets away -- report little trouble at all.

The contrast lays bare a system under strain, where declining local output and expanding imports have reshaped who feels relief -- and who does not.

According to Petrobangla, the state-run oil, gas and mineral corporation, Bangladesh's daily gas demand stands at about 3.8 billion cubic metres.

Supply, however, cannot be...