High Court asks authorities why LPG price should not be slashed

The High Court has issued a rule asking the authorities to explain why the price of LPG price should not be slashed in line with the global market price.

A High Court bench issued a rule on Sunday after hearing a writ petition filed by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) claiming that the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in domestic market has not been readjusted in last seven years despite the fall of LPG price in international market.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) chairman has been ordered to respond to the rule within four weeks, Md Saiful Alam, the lawyer for the petitioner told bdnews24.com.

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According to Saiful, BERC fixed LPG cylinder for the last time in 2009 when it set the price of a 12.5-kilogram LPG cylinder at Tk 700.

"It has not adjusted the price through public hearing since then though the price in international market dropped several times," he said.

CAB on July 31 filed a petition with BERC, seeking instruction to re-fix price of LPG cylinder.

"But BERC mysteriously spiked the petition and did not respond. That's why we moved the court," Saiful said.

Referring to related laws, the CAB lawyer also said it was BERC's duty to fix LPG, gas, power, oil and all other types of fuel. The prices are adjusted through public hearings in line with domestic and international market price and demand.