The decision was formalized on Wednesday during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase held at the Secretariat, chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury. According to an official press release issued by the Ministry of Finance following the session, the spot market purchases aim to stabilise grid electricity generation and ease gas pressure across major industrial belts.

International energy traders Aramco Trading Singapore, BP Singapore, and Vitol Asia have been selected to supply the four shipments under the Public Procurement Rules (PPR). Pricing across the four cargoes varies significantly based on market timing and supplier quotations, reaching a peak price of over 28 US dollars per million British thermal units (MMBtu).

BP Singapore submitted the highest winning bid for a single cargo at $28.03 per MMBtu. Aramco Trading Singapore secured contracts for two cargoes, quoting $27.54 per MMBtu for the first and $23.98 per MMBtu for the second. Vitol Asia will deliver the remaining cargo at a price of $26.66 per MMBtu.

The emergency procurement comes at a critical juncture for Bangladesh’s economy, where severe natural gas deficits have disrupted power generation and forced industrial units—particularly in the textile, ready-made garment, glass, and steel sectors—to operate well below capacity. In major manufacturing hubs such as Savar, Gazipur, and Chattogram, low pipeline pressure has forced factory owners to rely on expensive diesel generators or temporarily halt operations, driving up production costs and threatening export commitments.

While the government continues to rely on spot-market LNG imports to bridge the domestic supply-demand gap, international spot procurement faces headwind pressures. Escalating geopolitical tensions and conflict in the Middle East have pushed global energy prices upward whilst tightening cargo availability, forcing importing nations like Bangladesh to pay premium rates to secure essential fuel supplies.