The government has decided not to raise fuel prices in April, keeping retail rates unchanged for the second consecutive month even as the war in Middle East sends global energy prices spiraling upward.
The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources confirmed the decision in an official order issued on Tuesday (March 31), signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Enamul Haque.
Under the directive, consumer-level prices will remain at 100 taka per liter for diesel, 112 taka for kerosene, 116 taka for petrol, and 120 taka for octane, effective from April 1. These are the same rates that have been in place since February.
The automatic pricing system, aligned with international markets, began in March 2024 under guidelines issued on February 29 that year. It factors in the previous month's import costs for monthly adjustments, with octane and petrol priced higher than diesel as luxury items for private vehicles.
Jet fuel and furnace oil prices are set by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission, while diesel, kerosene, petrol and octane are determined by executive order from the Petroleum and Mineral Resources Division.
A Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation source revealed diesel sells at 100 taka per litre, but adjusted for current import costs, it should be around 200 taka. The unchanged prices require a government subsidy of 5,000 crore taka per month.
Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud told parliament Monday that diesel prices on the world market rose 98 percent in the past month, with import costs now at 198 taka per litre. Even selling octane at 120 taka incurs a cost of 150.72 taka per litre to the government.
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