DHAKA — A shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders continues across parts of Bangladesh despite a recent price hike, with consumers in several areas of Dhaka reporting that they are unable to find supplies or are being charged Tk 500 to Tk 800 above the government-fixed price.
The government has set the price of a 12-kilogram LPG cylinder at Tk 1,800, but consumers say many retailers either claim the product is unavailable or demand substantially higher prices. In some cases, consumers reportedly have been asked to pay around Tk 2,500 for a cylinder.
Residents in several Dhaka neighbourhoods said they have been moving from one shop to another in search of LPG. Zakaria Hossain of Banasree said he went out with an empty cylinder after running out of gas while cooking but returned home without finding a replacement.
“I had already started cooking. Some of the food was prepared, while the rest was still to be cooked when the gas ran out. I went out looking for a cylinder, but shops kept saying they had no gas,” he said.
Consumers have alleged that the shortage is being exploited to push up prices. Some households with piped-gas connections said inadequate supply has also forced them to depend on LPG.
The shortage is also affecting small businesses. A tea-shop owner said he recently bought an LPG cylinder for Tk 6,200, compared with Tk 4,000 previously.
Retailers, however, said the problem was caused by inadequate supply rather than deliberate hoarding. One seller said his weekly requirement was around 2,000 cylinders but he was receiving only about 200.
Another trader questioned whether retailers could sell LPG at the government-fixed price while facing prolonged supply disruptions and rising operating costs.
Humayun Rashid, senior vice-president of the LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB), said authorised importers should increase imports and build adequate stocks to stabilise the market.
He said companies authorised by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) and the relevant ministry should increase their inventories. Greater availability, he said, would help ease the supply shortage and enable consumers to buy LPG at reasonable prices.
The shortage reportedly began around the middle of September and intensified towards the end of the month. The government subsequently raised the price of a 12-kg LPG cylinder by Tk 252 on Sunday.
Consumers, however, say the price increase has failed to resolve the underlying supply crisis, leaving many households struggling to obtain LPG even at the officially fixed price.
COMMENTS