Traders must be held accountable, says energy adviser as he slams high LPG prices, vows mobile court drives

Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan today (11 October) announced that the interim government will launch mobile court operations to stop the illegal sale of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders at inflated prices in the market.

The adviser directly blamed unscrupulous traders for the price hikes, stating that the responsibility for the excessive pricing lies squarely with the business community, reports Prothom Alo.

"An LPG cylinder priced at Tk1,200 is being sold for Tk1,400. Traders must take responsibility for this. Irresponsible business cannot be allowed to continue," said Adviser Fouzul.

"A 12kg cylinder should be sold for less than Tk 1,000," he opined.

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The energy adviser made the comments at a policy conclave organised by the Daily Bonik Barta at a hotel in Dhaka. The conference aimed to address establishing a sustainable LPG economy, tackling environmental impacts, and enhancing security.

Adviser Fouzul also criticised a section of politicians and their affiliated business partners for allegedly creating an artificial fuel crisis. He stressed that while LPG could be a significant solution to the ongoing fuel scarcity, the high price remains a major challenge, largely because the supply is managed by the private sector.

"Businesses must be responsible. They must move away from the mentality of earning excessive profits, building mountains of wealth, and laundering money abroad," he warned.

However, BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan, who also spoke at the event, argued that blaming politicians and businessmen was unproductive. He emphasised the immediate necessity for the government to formulate a concrete plan to address the prevailing gas deficit.