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is a very competitive energy source compared to the price of other fuels and their availability, said M Tamim, vice-chancellor of the Independent University, Bangladesh at a conclave titled “LPG in Bangladesh: Economy, Environment and Safety”.

“Its cost-effectiveness, cleaner burning, ease of transportation and secured supply have increased the industrial usage by nearly 15 percent in the last two years,” he said at the event organised by Daily Bonik Barta at Pan Pacific Sonargaon.

The advantage of LPG is that it is relatively easy to import with lighterage, said Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

“But the major problem lies in its price -- it needs to be reduced. The entire LPG sector is controlled by private companies, and prices remain too high,” he said, adding the price of a 12-kg cylinder should be below Tk 1,000 but it is more than Tk 1,200.

Drives will be initiated under mobile courts to monitor whether selling rates exceed the rates fixed by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission.

Khan stressed the need to promote LPG use in industries by reducing prices, given the ongoing crisis in piped gas supply.

“We have limitations in LNG [liquified natural gas] import as we are near to utilising our full regasification facilities. But it is easier to import LPG.”

A section of politicians and their allied businessmen, working together, have created the ongoing crisis in the gas sector.

“In the private sector, many industries were promised gas connections. Even knowing there was no gas, lines were given, unjustly, through corruption,” he added.

Azam J Chowdhury, former president of the LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh, however, disagreed with Khan’s comment about LPG pricing.

If the government can ensure 7 percent profit for importers on each 12kg LPG cylinder sales, the private sector operators would hand over their businesses to the government.

“Everyone in the business is struggling to survive while some are selling LPG at losses. All of the licensees are barely breathing. Some have even been forced to shut down their operations.”

But closing a business means bank loans will remain unpaid and jobs will be at risk.

“I have coined a new term for this sector: NSPG -- No Subsidy, No Patronisation and No Governance. Everyone is running their business in their own way,” said Chowdhury, a director of Omera LPG.

Many places across the country are selling LPG cylinders illegally, while some are refilling small cylinders from larger ones by themselves, which is highly dangerous.

“Is that the operators’ fault?”

Mentioning the licence fee of Tk 1 crore per year for an LPG operator, he said: “On one hand, the government urges the use of green fuel, but on the other, it imposes heavy fees. The government itself sets the prices, so why should the blame fall only on us?”

The LPG market is being “manipulated” as the government has deliberately created the market by shutting down pipeline gas supply, said M Shamsul Alam, energy adviser to the Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh.

He urged operators to ensure the safe supply of LPG through transparent business practices and proper service.

Besides, he urged the BERC not to take the side of the influential stakeholders in the pricing or in receiving complaints.

“You must ensure proper investigation, rulings and implementation as all the operators are your licensees,” he added.

A total of 580 accidents occurred due to LPG cylinder blast in 2025, said Muhammad Jahed Kamal, director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate.

“LPG is a growing sector, and its use is expected to rise further in the future.”

As consumption increases, so does the risk of accidents, so it is crucial to raise awareness from the very beginning, he said.