Photo: Collected

SANGSAD BHABAN, April 19, 2026 (BSS) – Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hassan Mahmood today said in Jatiya Sangsad that the government has intensified monitoring and enforcement measures to ensure that Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders are sold to consumers at the prices fixed by the authorities and to prevent any artificial crisis or price manipulation.

The Minister said this while replying to a starred tabled question raised by ruling party lawmaker Md. Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas (Panna-5) in the Jatiya Sangsad today.

He mentioned that the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, along with the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), has taken a series of steps in this regard.

Iqbal said directives have been issued to district administrations to conduct mobile court drives at the field level in accordance with existing laws. 

“The Cabinet Division has been requested to take necessary measures, while the Ministry of Home Affairs has been asked to instruct Superintendents of Police to enforce legal actions where required,” he said.

The minister said LPG operators have also been instructed, in coordination with the LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB) and BERC, to ensure that LPG is sold at the government-fixed prices at the consumer level.
“As a result of these measures, district administrations are regularly conducting mobile court drives. If evidence of hoarding is found, business establishments are being fined and, in some cases, temporarily shut down,” he added.

The minister further said that the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection has been tasked for strengthening market monitoring in coordination with the district administrations to ensure compliance with the BERC-fixed prices. 

The directorate is conducting regular drives through its monitoring teams and taking legal action where necessary.

Highlighting the supply situation, the minister noted that around 98.67 percent of the country’s LPG market is import-dependent. In the context of ongoing tensions in the Middle East, the government is closely monitoring LPG imports to maintain a stable supply, he said.

“To this end, import data is being regularly reviewed through the National Board of Revenue’s ASYCUDA World system. Any irregularities are found, immediately being communicated to importers and, if necessary, reported to BERC for further action,” he said.

The power and energy minister said the government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring fair pricing and uninterrupted supply of LPG for consumers across the country.