In a column in Ajker Patrika, Bappaditya Chowdhury Prabal argues that LPG, once a dependable alternative to piped gas, has become a burden for low and middle-income families through repeated price rises. The views in the column are the writer's own.
He sets out the figures. On 2 November the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) raised the price of a private-sector 12-kg cylinder by Tk 223 to Tk 2,060. It was Tk 1,837 in October and Tk 1,585 in September, a rise of Tk 475 in two months, and the official price has passed Tk 2,000 for the first time.
He does not deny the influence of world markets. Much private LPG is imported, and propane and butane prices, the dollar rate and transport costs all feed through. But he argues that the gap between the set price and what people actually pay is another major problem, citing a Daily Star report of market prices from Tk 1,900 to Tk 2,500.
He also cautions that not every rise should be blamed on a syndicate without evidence, and calls for clear identification of where costs have really risen and where weaknesses in the market are being exploited. Cylinder weight, expiry and valve quality should be checked regularly too, he writes, because a faulty cylinder can cause an accident.
When a cylinder costs more than Tk 2,000, he writes, families must cut what they spend on food, education, treatment or nutrition, which makes this a cost-of-living question as well as an energy one. He proposes regular market monitoring, price lists and receipts at every outlet, and coordinated drives by the Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection and other agencies.
Source: Ajker Patrika
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