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Economy

LPG distributors call off strike after govt warning

Staff Reporter

Thursday 15th of October 2026, 11:53:40 AM

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LPG distributors call off strike after govt warning

Representational image. | New Age file photo.

Liquefied petroleum gas distributors called off their planned two-day nationwide strike hours after the government had warned of strict legal action against any attempts to disrupt essential commodity supplies.

The decision came as the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission scheduled a public hearing on October 29 to review the distributors’ demands, including an increase in sales commissions.

The nationwide shutdown was slated to begin on Thursday, with distributors planned to keep retail LPG outlets closed across the country to press for higher margins and other administrative reliefs.

Selim Khan, president of the LPG Gas Traders Cooperative Association, confirmed New Age about the withdrawal of the protest following a meeting with BERC officials on Wednesday.

He said that the regulatory body had assured traders their core concerns would be formally evaluated during the forthcoming public hearing.

Earlier on the day, power, energy, and mineral resources minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood issued a stern warning, stating that the government would invoke the Essential Commodities Act, 1957, if traders attempted to manipulate the market or create artificial supply shortages.

‘They cannot call strikes at will to push up prices. This will not be tolerated,’ the minister told reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat following a meeting with LPG operators.

He assured that the ministry was actively working to enforce rate compliance and curb market distortion.

According to a BERC public notice issued on Wednesday, the October 29 hearing will evaluate proposals to revise consumer-level prices for both government-supplied and privately marketed LPG cylinder products and distributor commissions.

The distributors’ association on October 12announced the strike, demanding an increase in retail commission from the existing Tk 50 to at least Tk 150 per 12-kilogram cylinder.

Their additional demands include an immediate end to alleged police harassment during transportation and government interventions to reintroduce idle and stagnant cylinders back into active circulation.

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