LPG price hike hits consumers hard

Staff Reporter :

Abdul Hamid, a private-sector worker living in Jattra Bari in city, relies on Titas gas for his rented home. Like many others, he buys a 12-kg LPG cylinder every month, due to often runs out of Titas gas while cooking.

Despite the official price set by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), he has repeatedly paid extra charges.

Last Tuesday, Hamid was asked to pay Tk 2,000 for a cylinder—one and a half times the official Tk 1,253—leaving him with no choice but to comply.

Mahbuba Alam expressed her frustration over the situation, saying that sellers are ignoring the BERC-set price, charging consumers excessively.

“This anarchy cannot continue. Without strict government supervision, price-setting serves no purpose,” she said.

The crisis is not limited to Jattra bari, traders across the capital and other parts of country are reportedly pocketing excessive profits.

Lower gas pressure in pipelines and increased dependence on LPG has created a lucrative opportunity for unscrupulous suppliers, who are taking advantage of the situation under the guise of a supply crisis.

In recent days, 12-kg LPG cylinders have been sold for Tk 1,850–2,050, far above the official rate. Along with inflated prices, the scarcity of supply has intensified the crisis.

Traders claim that winter demand rises as pipeline supply drops, but insufficient supply in the market allows them to hike prices abnormally, leaving consumers struggling.

Residents such as Md. Jahangir Hossain of Mohammadpur said monthly gas expenses have soared.

“Titas charges Tk 1,080 monthly even without use. Adding cylinder costs of Tk 1,400–1,500 earlier, my monthly gas bill is about Tk 3,000.

Now it has increased by another Tk 500–600,” he said. Ali Mohammad of Banasree, Rampura, said he recently bought a cylinder for Tk 1,800.

“The bigger problem is not just price, but the unavailability of cylinders in many shops,” he added.

The rise in multi-storey buildings without pipeline connections has increased household dependence on LPG, giving traders a captive consumer base. Suppliers justify price hikes citing a supply crisis.

Yusuf Ali, owner of Ideal LPG in Banasree, said distributors now charge Tk 1,520 per cylinder due to reduced supply.

Retailers also complain of delays from distributors, forcing them to sell at higher prices than BERC mandates.

Afzal, Area Sales Manager of Fresh LP Gas, cited declining LPG imports due to letter-of-credit complications as a major cause of the crisis.

The situation has worsened in regional cities like Mymensingh, where residents struggle to find cylinders amid empty shops.

Authorities have started enforcement actions. In Mirsarai, Chittagong, a mobile court fined various traders Tk 68,000 for illegal storage and sale of LPG cylinders during operations in Abutorab and Barotakia markets.

The combined issues of supply shortages, excessive pricing, and limited oversight have left consumers bearing the brunt of the LPG crisis.