Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) retailers across Bangladesh are set to close their shops for two days this week in protest against what traders describe as harassment of businesses operating in the sector.
The nationwide shutdown, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, 15 and 16 October, was announced on Monday by Selim Khan, president of the LPG Traders Co-operative Association, at a press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka.
Under the association’s decision, LPG shops across the country will remain closed for two consecutive days.
The announcement comes amid growing tensions in the sector following a price increase introduced by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) on 4 October.
Under the revised pricing, the cost of a 12kg LPG cylinder rose by 252 taka, taking the new price to 1,837 taka — approximately £11.70 at the supplied exchange rate.
The traders’ association said the planned closure was intended to protest against the alleged harassment of LPG businesses. However, no further details of the complaints were provided in the announcement.
The extent to which the shutdown could affect LPG supplies to households and businesses remains unclear. A nationwide closure could disrupt access to cooking fuel for consumers who rely on bottled gas, although the scale of any disruption has not been established.