In a move to address the country’s growing energy needs, the government is importing two cargoes of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the spot market—one from the United Kingdom and the other from Singapore.
The total estimated cost for these purchases stands at Tk 1,137.14 crore.The approval came on Thursday during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase, held at the Secretaria with Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair.
According to official sources, under the Public Procurement Rules 2008, an international quotation process was followed to procure LNG cargoes from the spot market.
One of the cargoes is scheduled to be delivered between May 15–16, 2025 (19th delivery), while the other is expected between May 25–26, 2025 (21st delivery).
For the first cargo, Petrobangla invited bids from 23 companies with existing Master Sale and Purchase Agreements (MSPA). Six companies submitted proposals, of which five were found to be technically and financially responsive.
Based on the evaluation by the Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC), the UK-based firm TotalEnergies Gas & Power Ltd emerged as the lowest bidder. The government will purchase 3.36 million MMBtu of LNG from the company at a unit price of $11.84 per MMBtu, totaling Tk 567.85 crore.
For the second shipment, bids were again sought from the 23 MSPA-approved firms, with four submitting proposals—all of which were deemed responsive. Following the PEC’s recommendation, the contract was awarded to Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd, which offered the lowest rate. The LNG will be procured at $11.87 per MMBtu for the same volume—3.36 million MMBtu—bringing the total cost to Tk 569.29 crore.
These imports are part of Bangladesh’s broader strategy to secure stable energy supplies amid fluctuating global energy prices and increasing domestic demand.
The government is also procuring other items, including: 2.2 crore litres of soybean oil, 1.10 crore litres of rice bran oil, 50,000 tonnes of non-Basmati parboiled rice, and 10,000 tonnes of lentils.