Bangladesh has raised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices for the second time in less than a month, with the price of a 12kg cylinder increasing by Tk 223 to Tk 2,060, further squeezing household budgets amid an ongoing supply shortage.
The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) announced the new rates on Monday, November 2, saying they would take effect from 8pm.
The price of a 12kg cylinder has risen from Tk 1,837 to Tk 2,060, while autogas prices have increased from Tk 84.62 to Tk 91.95 per litre.
The latest adjustment applies to all LPG cylinder sizes, ranging from 5kg to 45kg. The price of a 5.5kg cylinder has been raised from Tk 842 to Tk 944, while a 15kg cylinder will now cost Tk 2,575, up from Tk 2,296.
A 20kg cylinder has become more expensive by Tk 373, rising to Tk 3,434, while the price of a 30kg cylinder has increased to Tk 5,150 from Tk 4,592. The price of a 45kg cylinder has also climbed to Tk 7,726 from Tk 6,888.
Prices have also been revised for centrally supplied LPG through reticulated systems, with the rate increasing from Tk 0.3310 to Tk 0.3685 per litre.
Higher charges for operators and distributors
Alongside the retail price adjustment, BERC has revised service charges across the LPG supply chain. The storage and bottling charge for private LPG operators has been set at Tk 23.48 per kg, while distributors will receive Tk 7.08 per kg and retailers Tk 5.83 per kg.
Autogas storage and station charges have also been revised to Tk 5.59 and Tk 9.25 per litre, respectively.
Second increase in a month raises concerns
The latest increase follows an earlier adjustment on October 4, when the price of a 12kg cylinder was raised by Tk 252, from Tk 1,585 to Tk 1,837.
The back-to-back increases come at a time when consumers are already facing LPG shortages and complaints about prices exceeding officially fixed rates in the market.
At a public hearing on October 29, LPG operators, distributors and retailers proposed substantial increases in their respective service charges. Operators sought to raise bottling charges from Tk 15–16 to Tk 25–30 per kg, while distributors proposed increasing their charges from Tk 4.17 to Tk 8.33 per kg.
Retailers, meanwhile, sought an increase from Tk 3.75 to Tk 10 per kg.
Following the hearing, BERC’s technical evaluation committee recommended raising the price of a 12kg cylinder to Tk 1,976, an increase of Tk 139. However, the commission ultimately announced a higher price of Tk 2,060.
The decision is likely to intensify concerns among households and small businesses that depend on LPG for cooking and other daily needs, particularly as the latest increase comes amid persistent supply constraints.
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