LP Gas cylinders are still unavailable, even at higher prices in most areas.
There is even no authority in the interim government to see what happened to the consumers: no assurance came from any corner that could ensure when the people would get rid of this messy situation the country has been experiencing for last one month, consumers have been complaining.
Even when cylinders are available in limited quantity, residents have to pay Tk 300-500 extra per cylinder without any pay slip. Housewife of Azimpur Rehana Akhter claimed she is paying double for a cylinder but cannot show the proofs as when she asked for a pay slip the retailer expressed unwillingness to sale gas to her.
However, retailer Monir Hossain said he buys at 1,400 taka but has to sell at 1,550 taka. Supply from many companies has been absent for the past one month. Mohan Ali of Ramchandrapur, Rajshahi, bought a new kerosene stove due to the unavailability of gas. Samia Shahrin, a student of Rajshahi New Govt. Degree College, said she purchased an electric stove as an alternative. It happened across the country as LPG is known as cooking gas.
As the demand for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the country increases by more than 10 per cent every year, the supply to the market must be increased accordingly to keep pace with this growing demand. Compared to 2023, imports rose by nearly 336,000 tonnes in 2024.
According to Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), LPG imports in 2023 were 1,275,000 tonnes. In 2024, it rose to 1,610,000 tonnes. Last year, only 1,465,000 tonnes were imported.
However, compared to the previous year, imports last year decreased by nearly 150,000 tonnes. The drop in imports was especially high in the last three months of the year, creating a severe shortage of LPG in the market.
Although imports were supposed to increase, they instead fell by 10 per cent. As a result, whatever stock was expected to remain at the end of the year was already sold in the market. Despite this, market demand is not being met. Consumers are unable to obtain cylinders even at double the price.
BERC Chairman Jalal Ahmed said on Thursday that recent geopolitical developments have exposed the vulnerability of Bangladesh's energy supply system, particularly the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) market.
He said that the LPG crisis could have been anticipated earlier. The government has monthly data showing a decline in imports.
Therefore, companies that regularly import should have been granted permission to increase imports. Had permission been given on time, the current shortage would not have occurred.
He noted that numerous ships and companies were blacklisted by the United States in November and December last year, with concerns that further sanctions may follow. As a result, Bangladesh experienced a decline in LPG imports last year.
At the same time, escalating tensions in the Middle East-especially involving Iran-led major buyers such as China to procure large volumes of LPG from the international market, squeezing supply opportunities for smaller importers like Bangladesh.
According to the US Treasury Department, the United States has imposed fresh sanctions on more than 50 companies, individuals, and vessels accused of helping Iran export petroleum and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) - with shipments traced to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
In its statement on October 13, the US Treasury Department cited two specific shipments of Iranian LPG delivered to Bangladesh involving vessels and entities under sanctions, along with general references to ongoing transport activities.
These actors have enabled the export of billions of dollars worth of petroleum and petroleum products, providing critical revenue to the Iranian regime, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
"The new sanctions aim to dismantle Iran's "energy export machine" as part of Washington's ongoing "maximum economic pressure" campaign Treasury,"
US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the measures on Thursday as part of what it called a broader effort to degrade Iran's cash flow and cut off funding to groups Washington designates as terrorist organisations.
Among those newly sanctioned are UAE-based Slogal Energy DMCC and Markan White Trading Crude Oil Abroad Co LLC, accused of facilitating Iranian LPG shipments to South Asia since 2024. OFAC noted that multiple consignments reached end users in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
In early 2025, the Panama-flagged vessel Gas Dior - owned by Panama-based Aerilyn Shipping Inc - delivered over 17,000 tonnes of Iranian LPG to Bangladesh for Octane Energy FZCO, which has now also been sanctioned, according to the US Treasury.
The Treasury identified firms (the network) based in the UAE, Hong Kong, and the Marshall Islands accused of concealing the origin of Iranian oil through shadow fleet operations - including vessel-to-vessel transfers and shell companies that disguise cargo movements.
The statement detailed dozens of ships used to transport or mask Iranian oil and LPG shipments, including the Max Star, Gas Vision, Sea Opera and Tulip, which collectively moved hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of Iranian petroleum products across Asia.
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China, and the UAE are among the countries that reportedly received shipments tied to the sanctioned network, the statement noted.
LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB) President Mohammad Amirul Haque described the unloading of LPG from mother vessels at outer anchorage as "highly problematic." But he did not clear what the problem was to unload LPG from the vessels at the outer anchorage.
On Sunday night Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) BPC has been authorized to import LPG and that the corporation's chairman has already been given verbal instructions to begin the process to address the ongoing crisis in the country. That will also take time for shipment.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) President AHM Shafiquzzaman called for the removal of import duties on LPG, describing it as an essential daily commodity. "Consumers are often overlooked. We are ready to pay a fixed price, but authorities must ensure LPG is sold at the announced rate," he said.
He also pointed out that operators currently need to deal with five different regulatory agencies for licensing and approvals, calling for a single-window regulatory authority.
The energy adviser added that the government had held meetings with LPG traders and distributor associations, considering the hardship faced by consumers. However, he said there is no alternative to increasing LPG imports to resolve the crisis.
BERC says that 52 companies hold licenses to operate in the LPG business. Among them, 32 companies have their own plants for filling cylinders. Twenty-three companies have the capacity to import. Last year, 17 companies imported LPG while only eight companies imported every month. Some import at the start of the year but stop later.
BERC also said that the Energy and Mineral Resources Division has already taken initiatives to increase LPG imports. Priority is being given for opening Letters of Credit (LC). Import permissions have been increased, and businesses have started the import process. If imports rise, the supply shortage will ease.
Currently, the LPG shortage is a supply-related crisis, says BERC chairman Jalal Ahmed. In a roundtable on the LPG market last Thursday, he said that until November, 170 ships faced US sanctions. In December, another 29 ships were affected. Supplies from Iran have stopped. Large buyers like China are now purchasing from the global LPG market, making it increasingly difficult to procure LPG.
