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Published : 03 Jan 2026, 07:45 PM
The government has decided to call a meeting with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) traders to discuss a surge in the gas price hike.
The decision was taken on Saturday at a meeting at the residence of Power and Energy Advisor Fouzul Kabir Khan, attended by officials from the ministry and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation.
A senior official at the power and energy ministry confirmed that the meeting, led by the energy Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam, will be held at 4pm on Sunday at the Energy and Mineral Resources Division.
LPG importers, bottlers, suppliers, and dealers have been invited to the meeting along with relevant government offices.
The meeting comes on the same day that the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) is expected to announce a new LPG price, which is mainly used for cooking.
The BERC sets LPG prices monthly based on international market rates. A media briefing on the new price is scheduled for 3pm on Sunday, with the new price taking effect immediately.
The price of a 12kg LPG cylinder, officially fixed at Tk 1,253 for December, has recently risen by nearly Tk 1,000 or more in parts of Dhaka.
The increase occurred without prior notice, though only BERC has the authority to change prices.
Some consumers said they could not obtain LPG cylinders even after paying Tk 1,000 above the BERC-set price.
They claimed retailers cited supply shortages to charge extra.
Earlier on Saturday, Fouzul Kabir said he was trying to understand the matter clearly by holding a meeting with different government offices at his house in the evening.
LPG distributors and operators said a slump in the import of the gas in December led to the situation.
LPG cylinders have rarely been available at the government-set price in retail markets since the government began fixing prices in 2021. Buyers often pay more than the official rate to obtain cylinders.
BERC Chairman Jalal Ahmed said LPG imports in December were lower than usual. Traders cited supply shortages and transport problems as reasons for the price increase.
He also mentioned that freight costs had risen sharply.
The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), however, alleged earlier on Saturday that traders were deliberately creating an artificial shortage to push prices higher, taking advantage of weak law enforcement.
