Dhaka: Residents of Mirpur and its adjoining areas in the city went under untold sufferings as Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company kept the gas supply suspended for 20 hours from Thursday night.

There was no gas in entire Mirpur area -- from Mirpur Mazar Road to Kafrul-and Kazipara, Sewrapara, Kalyanpur and Senpara till 4pm on Friday.

Residents of those areas had to either cook their meals using alternative ovens or buy those from outside.

They said Titas Gas has been relocating their supply lines to facilitate the Metro Rail project. But sometimes it stops the gas supply without any notice to its consumers.

The residents said they were informed by Titas Gas that the gas supply would remain closed from 8pm on Thursday to 8am on Friday and they took preparations accordingly.

But in the morning when the gas supply was supposed to resume, it was found that there was no gas in the pipeline.

The residents had to wait until 4 pm to receive gas for their ovens, said Jahangir Alam, a resident of Mirpur.

Contacted, Titas Gas manager (public relations) Wahiduzzaman said the pipeline relocation work was scheduled to start at 10pm on Thursday and end by 8am on Friday. "But due to technical reason, the start was delayed by five hours," he said, adding that they had to keep the gas supply suspended until 1pm today for the delay.