BERC Raises LPG Prices Amid Acute Shortages and Market Manipulation Allegations

Consumers in Bangladesh are facing skyrocketing LPG prices and acute shortages due to a severe supply strain, leading to a fresh price hike by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC). The new rate of BDT 1,837 for a 12-kilogram cylinder is still significantly lower than the market rate, which has reached up to BDT 2,600 in some areas. This price hike follows an emergency meeting held on Saturday between Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku and Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir with LPG importers to address the worsening market scenario.

According to industry analysts and energy specialists, a severe deficit in national pipeline natural gas is the primary driver behind this unprecedented supply strain. The current domestic extraction alongside LNG regasification yields only around 2,600 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD), despite a nationwide demand approaching 4,000 MMCFD.

Prof. M. Shamsul Alam, Energy Adviser to the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), denounced the price hike as a 'validation of illegal market manipulation.' He stated that raising official prices while failing to enforce retail compliance merely shields dishonest syndicates without ensuring gas access for ordinary citizens.