Minister Nasrul Hamid advises household users to shift to LPG

Amid an acute gas crisis affecting households and CNG-filling stations in different parts of Bangladesh, a minister says domestic users may continue to suffer.

“I had said it earlier that the problem will remain for domestic users. We want households to gradually shift to LPG (liquefied petroleum gas),” State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid told reporters on Wednesday.

 He said problems were encountered in supplying gas due to low pressure. 

 “Our priority now is to ensure supply at industrial zones.”

 The government is working out a plan to meet 70 percent of the domestic demand with LPG within the next three years, added Hamid.

 Asked whether an ‘artificial crisis’ was created to force domestic users to go for LPG, the minister replied: “Apart from one or two cities, LPG is used everywhere. How are they managing?”

 Gas supplies to households usually hit a snag during the winter.

 But this year, the crisis turned acute and affected even filling stations for CNG-run vehicles.

দ্বিগুণ দামে এলপিজি বিক্রির অভিযোগ ডিলারদের বিরুদ্ধে

The minister said that the problems at households would be solved within two or three days. “The problem in Bakhrabad gas pipeline is being fixed.”

He, however, said that such problems would not arise in future if the use of LPG was increased.  “The price (of LPG) has come down drastically and the government is working to cut it further.”

According to PetroBangla’s fiugures, Bangladesh’s daily gas production stands at 2.7 billion cubic feet against a maximum capacity of 2.74 billion.

Domestic users have to pay between Tk 600 and 650 per month to use the gas supplied through pipelines while a LPG gas cylinder costs around Tk 1,500.