Staff Correspondent
Dhaka, Jan 10, 2026: Bangladesh’s transport sector has been hit hard by an ongoing shortage of LPG autogas, pushing operators, drivers, and passengers into serious difficulty, said Engineer Md Sirajul Mawla, President of the Bangladesh LPG Autogas Station and Conversion Workshop Owners’ Association.
He made the remarks at a press conference titled “Negative Impact of the LPG Crisis on the Transport Sector”, held on Saturday morning at the Shafiqul Kabir Auditorium of the Dhaka Reporters Unity.
The event was organised by the association to draw attention to what it described as an alarming situation facing the autogas industry.
Senior leaders of the organisation were present at the briefing, including Vice President Saeeda Akhter, General Secretary Md Hasin Parvez, Joint General Secretary Engineer Md Iqbal Hossain, Joint Finance Secretary Md Mokbul Hossain, Joint Organising Secretary Md Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan, and Md Mashiur Rahman, among others.
Speaking at the event, Sirajul Mawla said LPG autogas is a clean, affordable, and easily accessible fuel that has long been used as an alternative to CNG, petrol, octane, and diesel. With government encouragement, nearly 1,000 LPG autogas stations have been set up across all 64 districts, and around 150,000 vehicles have been converted to run on LPG. However, the current acute shortage has forced most autogas stations across the country to effectively shut down.
As a result, station owners are facing heavy losses, while owners and drivers of LPG-powered vehicles are struggling to operate. Vehicles are being forced off the roads as drivers spend hours searching for gas, disrupting transport services and causing severe inconvenience to passengers.
The crisis, he warned, is directly affecting daily commuters and public mobility.
He further noted that Bangladesh uses an average of about 140,000 metric tonnes of LPG each month, of which only around 15,000 metric tonnes—roughly 10 percent—is consumed by the transport sector. Despite this relatively small share, the failure to ensure supply for autogas has put the entire LPG autogas industry at risk of collapse.
At the press conference, the association placed three key demands before the government.
First, it urged LPG suppliers, operators, and LOAB to ensure adequate LPG supply for autogas stations by any means necessary.
Second, it called on BERC and relevant government authorities to immediately resolve complications related to LPG imports and guarantee uninterrupted supply to the autogas sector through licensed operators.
Third, it demanded long-term measures to prevent future supply disruptions, including arrangements for LPG imports from alternative sources under direct government initiative if required.
The association issued a strong appeal to the government, stressing that immediate and visible action is essential to protect energy security, maintain stability in the transport system, safeguard consumer interests, and preserve environmental gains.
Failure to resolve the LPG crisis promptly, it warned, could deepen its impact on the broader economy and everyday life across the country.
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