LPG price Bangladesh: government orders inquiry into artificial scarcity

The LPG price Bangladesh families pay has become a household crisis. A 12kg cylinder is selling above Tk 2,000 in many places. The regulated price is Tk 1,585. On 30 September the government ordered district commissioners to investigate.

What the government ordered

Power Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku told district commissioners to look into complaints of shortage and overcharging. He said there was no overall shortage of LPG in the country. But he admitted that an artificial scarcity could be being created.

The gap is large. A price of Tk 2,000 is about 26 per cent above the regulated rate of Tk 1,585 set by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission. For a family that cooks daily on gas, the difference is felt every month.

What the import data shows

Imports do not suggest a collapse. Bangladesh brought in 123,975 tonnes of LPG in July. August imports rose to 157,760 tonnes. By mid-September the total stood at 126,000 tonnes.

That is why officials point to hoarding or slow releases rather than empty ports. Supply exists, they say, but it is not reaching shelves at the legal price.

What drives the LPG price Bangladesh is seeing

Market operators give a different account. They cite rising premium and shipping costs for fresh LPG cargoes. They say they are holding back releases until the next price adjustment by the regulator, due on 4 October.

If that is true, it exposes a flaw. A fixed price that lags import costs invites withholding. A fixed price that moves slowly can also punish consumers when they can least afford it.

What to watch

Three things will matter now. First, whether district commissioners find and penalise hoarders. Second, what the regulator announces on 4 October. Third, whether stock returns to shops at fair prices within days.

Energy costs are already a strain on public finances. See our report on the BPC loan of Tk 4,500 crore for fuel imports. The original story is in The Daily Star.

Fact basis: The Daily Star, 30 September 2026. Figures are as reported. The 26 per cent gap is FTD’s calculation from the reported prices.