Bangladesh consumer group challenges LPG pricing without hearings

Bangladesh’s energy regulator is facing questions over setting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices without new public hearings, despite a 2020 High Court directive requiring hearings.

M Shamsul Alam, energy adviser to Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) held hearings in 2021 but later stopped, including before its Oct. 4 price decision.

BERC chair Jalal Ahmed said the commission established a monthly formula after two hearings and did not need repeated proceedings because international prices, freight, exchange rates, and fuel costs drive adjustments.

Industry representative Mohammed Amirul Haque said consumers are paying 30% to 40% above official prices. For October, BERC set a 12-kilogram cylinder at Tk 1,837 (approximately $14.90).

Haque urged authorities to act against operators, distributors, or retailers that overcharge or manipulate supplies.