LNG import bill: $5m paid, $32m still owed to QatarEnergy

Staff Reporter :

Bangladesh has made a partial payment of $5 million to Qatar’s state-owned QatarEnergy LNG against outstanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) import bills, reducing its dues from $37 million to $32 million, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The payment was processed through Agrani Bank, according to AKM Mizanur Rahman, Director (Finance) of Petrobangla, the state-owned oil, gas, and mineral corporation.

“We paid $5 million to QatarEnergy LNG today out of the $37 million in outstanding LNG import bills. The remaining $32 million will be paid tomorrow,” Rahman stated.

According to Petrobangla sources, the remaining amount will be paid through the Jeddah-based International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), under an existing loan agreement. Bangladesh has a $500 million loan arrangement with ITFC to facilitate energy import payments for the 2025 calendar year.

As of 21 April 2025, Bangladesh’s total outstanding LNG import bills stood at $67.62 million – significantly down from $317.48 million recorded on 5 August 2024. Of the current outstanding amount, QatarEnergy LNG is owed $37 million while OQ Trading Ltd (formerly Oman Trading International Ltd) is owed $30.62 million.

Petrobangla data indicates that the interim government has so far paid $1.53 billion for long-term LNG imports, out of the total import value of $1.59 billion.

QatarEnergy LNG, formerly known as Qatargas, began supplying LNG to Bangladesh in 2018 under a 15-year agreement. Under the terms of the contract, QatarEnergy LNG is committed to exporting between 1.8 and 2.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG at a rate of $10.114 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), with 40 shipments annually, each carrying 3.2 million MMBtu.

The government continues its efforts to manage energy import obligations amid global price fluctuations and economic pressures, while maintaining stable supply to meet domestic demand.