After going down for two months, the price of private operators' liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has been increased again.

According to the new rates, the price of every 12 kg cylinder was set at Tk 1,240, an increase of Tk 62 from the previous price of Tk 1,178.

Meanwhile, price of gas for motor vehicles was also raised by Tk 2.56.

Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) announced the new prices at a press briefing yesterday, saying the new rates will be in immediate effect from the evening at the retail level.

At the press briefing, BERC chairperson Abdul Jalil said they will conduct a public hearing on the proposal to hike the price for pipeline gases as well, after receiving the report of a technical evaluation committee the organisation formed in this regard.

On January 3, the energy division made the first move to more than double the price for pipeline gas.

However, BERC denied this, saying that the proposals were not placed properly, as the distributors didn't attach their audit report and other documents, as required by the rules.

According to the proposal, the energy division wanted to raise the price of single burners from Tk 925 to Tk 2,000, and double burners from Tk 975 to Tk 2,100 for residential areas, sources told this correspondent.

A BERC official said the committee could take a month for the verification, and the hearing could take place next month.

He said the six distributors under the state-owned Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla) have proposed the price hike for pipeline gases again last week.

LPG PRICES

According to the newly announced rates, every kilogramme of LPG will go for Tk 103.34 from February, which is up by Tk 5.17 from the previous month.

Meanwhile, the price of gas for motor vehicles was also hiked to Tk 57.51, from the present price of Tk 54.95 per litre.

Making the announcement, BERC Chairman Abdul Jalil said the price of retail LPG has witnessed this rise, as the bulk LPG of Saudi contract price (CP) has increased globally in the aftermath of the volatility caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as simmering geopolitical tension between Ukraine and Russia.

"Saudi CP price is slated to go up by $775 from the previous price of $420 per metric tonne. Bangladesh's private LPG operators buy their bulk LPG on the basis of the Saudi CP," Abdul Jalil told reporters at the virtual briefing.

The BERC chair also said the price of the state-owned LP Gas Company Ltd's LPG will remain unchanged at Tk 591 for 12.5kg cylinders, as it has no relationship with the global market price.