Bangladesh keeps May price of 12kg cylinder at Tk 1,940 after April hikes

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices in Bangladesh will remain unchanged in May, with the regulator opting to hold rates steady after a volatile April marked by steep adjustments.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) announced the decision on Sunday, saying that the new rates will take effect at 6pm.

Under the current adjustment, the price of a standard 12kg LPG cylinder remains at Tk 1,940.

The decision follows Saudi Aramco's announcement of the Saudi CP (Contract Price) for May.

For May, Saudi Aramco set the price of propane at $750 per tonne and butane at $800 each tonne.

With a propane-to-butane ratio of 35:65, the average Saudi CP stands at $782.50.

The retail price of LPG has been set at Tk 161.71 per kg.

Autogas is priced at Tk 89.52 per kg at the consumer level, while reticulated LPG in its liquid state has been fixed at Tk 157.96 per kg.

Prices for other cylinder sizes have also been determined accordingly, ranging from Tk 889 for a 5.5kg cylinder to Tk 7,277 for a 45kg cylinder.

A 12.5kg cylinder of government LPG will continue to be sold at Tk 776.93 at dealer or retailer points.

The decision to maintain the current price follows a volatile April.

On Apr 2, the price of a 12kg cylinder was initially increased to Tk 1,728 from Tk 1,341.

Just 17 days later, on Apr 19, the BERC raised it again by Tk 212, bringing it to the current Tk 1,940.

This reflected a total hike of Tk 599 within a single month due to rising global contract prices.

Despite the official rates, allegations of overcharging persist in the retail market.

During a recent parliamentary session on Apr 23, MP Rumeen Farhana noted that while the government rate is Tk 1,940, consumers often struggle to find cylinders for less than Tk 2,200.