Autogas station owners say transport sector hit hard by LPG crisis, demand urgent govt action

Leaders of the Bangladesh LPG Autogas Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association have called for urgent and effective government intervention to resolve the ongoing LPG crisis, warning that the situation has severely disrupted the country's transport sector.

Mohammad Serajul Mawla, association president, at a press conference held today (10 January) at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, said autogas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is an environment-friendly, easily available and cost-effective fuel that has long been used as an efficient alternative to CNG, petrol, octane and diesel.

He added that with government encouragement, around 1,000 autogas stations have been established across all 64 districts of the country, while nearly 150,000 vehicles have been converted to run on LPG.

However, due to the severe shortage of LPG, almost all autogas stations across the country have effectively shut down, Serajul said. 

As a result, station owners, as well as owners and drivers of LPG-run vehicles, are facing extreme hardship, he added.

"Vehicles are unable to get gas even after waiting for hours, disrupting traffic movement and severely affecting passenger services. Passengers are being harassed on a daily basis."

He further said that Bangladesh consumes an average of around 140,000 metric tonnes of LPG per month, of which only about 15,000 metric tonnes, roughly 10% is used in the transport sector. 

"Yet the failure to ensure supply of this relatively small amount has pushed the entire LPG autogas industry to the brink of collapse," he said.

Calling on the government to take immediate action, Serajul said ensuring energy security, stability in the transport system, consumer interests and environmental protection requires visible and effective steps without delay.

"If the LPG crisis is not resolved quickly, its impact will deepen further, affecting the overall economy and public life," he added.

At the press conference, the association placed three key demands: urging LPG supplier companies, operators and LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB) to ensure adequate supply of LPG autogas in line with demand; calling on the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) and other relevant authorities to quickly resolve complications related to LPG imports and ensure sufficient supply to the autogas sector through operators; and taking all necessary measures to prevent future supply disruptions, including importing LPG from alternative sources if needed under government initiative.