LPG Traders Cooperative Society Limited declared a nationwide suspension of LPG supply and sales from Thursday until its demands are met.
The traders issued the ultimatum at the Jatiya Press Club on Wednesday. They warned that if their demands are not met within 24 hours, LPG cylinder sales will be stopped. A formal notice of suspension was issued later in the evening.
At the press conference, the traders demanded that the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) readjust LPG cylinder prices and stop harassment and fines imposed on distributors by the administration. They cautioned that failure to meet these demands within 24 hours would lead to an indefinite suspension of supply and sales nationwide.
Selim Khan, president of the society, said a meeting with BERC was scheduled for 3pm. Thursday. Sales would resume only if their demands were accepted; otherwise, the suspension would continue.
BERC adjusts LPG prices monthly, and on 4 January the commission announced new rates. In a written statement Wednesday, the traders said the adjustment was made without consulting distributors. They argued that instead of addressing the LPG cylinder shortage, the commission had created controversy over higher prices and instilled fear through consumer rights drives, forcing many businesses to shut down.
The statement added that the proper solution would have been for the Energy Division, BERC, and LPG companies to jointly resolve import problems. Instead, raids were conducted that harassed distributors. The association demanded that distributor commissions be raised from Tk50 to Tk80 and retailer commissions from Tk45 to Tk75.
