LPG Policy Must Be Long-Term, Safe, and Inclusive

Price control is another major issue. In neighboring India, subsidies ensure that LPG is affordable for ordinary households. Bangladesh, by contrast, imposes taxes and VAT, making LPG more expensive while leaving private operators to subsidize consumers from their own pockets. This imbalance is unsustainable.

- Humayun Rashid

Energy security is often described as the lifeblood of a nation. Without a stable supply of fuel, no society can secure education, healthcare, food, or housing. For Bangladesh, as for many other countries, energy is inseparable from national security. The question before us today is not whether LPG matters, but whether we are prepared to manage it wisely and sustainably.

LPG's Proven Role in Global Energy Security

Around the world, diverse fuels—coal, liquid fuel, solar, wind, hydrogen, and battery-backed power—have been explored. Yet none have fully guaranteed energy security in the way LPG has. Over the last 50 to 70 years, LPG has consistently provided stability, especially across South and Southeast Asia. In India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, LPG is now widely accepted as a household and industrial fuel.

In Bangladesh, LPG consumption has grown rapidly, now reaching about 1.3-1.5 million tonnes annually, with the potential to expand to 3 million tonnes in the near future. This growth is not a luxury—it is a necessity. The government cannot indefinitely rely on subsidized natural gas and LNG, which still demand heavy subsidies even when sold at a mixed price. If even a fraction of these subsidies were redirected to LPG, rural and western regions—areas excluded from pipeline gas—would experience far stronger energy security.

The Missing Piece: A Long-Term Policy

While Bangladesh has a basic LPG policy, it lacks a comprehensive long-term roadmap. Energy security cannot be left to short-term improvisation. Such a strategy must cover the entire supply chain: import facilities, bottling, distribution, retail, and consumer usage. It must set enforceable safety standards and create an investment-friendly framework aligned with international practices.