Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku held a meeting with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) importers on Saturday to address the ongoing supply crisis and allegations of selling cylinders at rates higher than government-fixed prices.
Commerce Minister Khandoker Abdul Muktadir was also present at the meeting held at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka.
The meeting was confirmed in a press release issued by the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. However, the release did not detail the decisions taken during the discussion.
The high-level meeting comes amid widespread consumer complaints regarding the unavailability of LPG cylinders across various regions of the country.
In many areas, 12-kilogram cylinders are reportedly being sold for Tk 600 to Tk 1000 above the government-set rate. Although the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) fixed the price of a 12-kg LPG cylinder at Tk 1,585 for September, consumers in several places are being forced to purchase them for Tk 2200 to Tk2600 or more.
Earlier on September 28, importers had assured government officials during a meeting with LPG operators that import volumes were adequate to meet national demand. Despite these assurances, allegations of artificial supply shortages and market overcharging have persisted.
Conflicting claims have also surfaced regarding recent import statistics. One report indicated that LPG imports dropped from nearly 160,000 tonnes in August to around 120,000 tonnes in September. Importers attributed this decline to international shipping disruptions, vessel shortages, and rising freight charges.
Conversely, a group of LPG operators submitted a letter to the Energy Division on October 1 claiming that September import volumes remained close to August levels. They alleged that certain importers deliberately delayed releasing imported LPG cargoes to create artificial pressure on the market, demanding an independent inquiry into the matter.
Amid the worsening situation, the Energy Minister instructed District Commissioners (DCs) on September 30 to investigate whether an artificial crisis was being engineered to inflate prices. He ordered strict action against those involved in creating artificial shortages or selling above government rates, while directing measures to boost supply where genuine shortages exist.