Published: 12:57 AM, 26 September 2026
LPG 'crunch' leaves Dhaka consumers scrambling
Parveen Azad was halfway through making breakfast when her gas cylinder ran out, mid-fry, at her home in Mirpur's Muslim Bazar.
She rang Sohag Electronics, her regular supplier, on Friday, but no one picked up. Left with no choice, she walked over to the shop, only to find it shut.
At another shop nearby, she was told her usual brand, Bashundhara LPG, was out of stock. A cylinder from another company would cost Tk 3,500, bdnews24 reports.
Parveen ended up buying breakfast from a restaurant instead. She later went out again looking for "Sohag" but could not find the supplier.
She said she planned to buy lunch from a restaurant as well and might try cooking dinner with the weak piped-gas supply at night. The
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), which adjusts LPG prices every month, has set the price of a 12kg cylinder at Tk 1,585.
The price was cut by Tk 13 on Sept 2, but consumers are now paying Tk 500-600 more in the market.
During a visit to Muslim Bazar on Friday morning, most electronics shops were found closed. Some had LPG cylinders displayed outside but were also shut.
Shopkeepers who were selling gas said supplies from most companies had run out.
Where cylinders were available, a new cylinder with the bottle was priced at Tk 3,500-3,600.
If consumers already had a cylinder, some sellers were charging Tk 2,100 for a refill.
Shopkeeper Md Shaheen said his store had Fresh LPG in stock for Tk 2,100. That is Tk 515 above the BERC-set price.
Asked when the price had reached Tk 2,100, he said it had risen gradually over the past 10-12 days, from Tk 1,600.
Consumers said sellers were telling them that the brands they normally use were unavailable and asking them to switch companies, often charging for a new cylinder as well.
Another buyer in Muslim Bazar said customers could normally return one company's cylinder and receive another when buying a refill.
But amid the shortage, sellers were asking them to change brands and pay for the cylinder.
The customer said they used to get a 12kg cylinder delivered home for Tk 2,000 but were now being told that brand was unavailable and another would cost Tk 3,500.
The customer also complained that the bottle alone was adding Tk 1,500 to the cost, despite having bought cylinders from the same shop for three years.
The shortage is less severe in East Rajabazar than in Mirpur, but LPG is also being sold there above the regulated price.
Shopkeeper Monir Molla said he bought a 12kg Omera LPG cylinder for Tk 1,700 the previous Thursday, but had to pay Tk 200 more when he bought one on Thursday.
He said the dealer had cited lower supplies and a higher purchase price, adding that he suspected the shortage was being created to push up prices.
At Majeed Enterprise, an LPG dealer in Indira Road's Sadhanpara, the shopkeeper said he had previously sold a 12kg cylinder for Tk 1,700 but was charging Tk 2,000 on Friday.
He told bdnews24.com that supplies were usually sufficient to meet demand, but the dealer had delivered only one truckload on Thursday and charged more for it, leaving the retailer with little room to manoeuvre.
