Govt to buy LNG cargo at $23.93 per MMBtu from Aramco, 14 more from 7 other companies

Government has given in-principle approval to procure 14 liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes directly from seven companies to ensure gas supplies during state emergencies. Two cargoes will be procured from each company.

The approval was given on Wednesday (August 19) at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase, chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury at the NEC conference room in Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

The committee also approved the purchase of an LNG cargo from Aramco Trading Singapore Pte Ltd at $23.93 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) to maintain normal gas supplies. The cargo is scheduled to be delivered between September 1 and 2 and will be Bangladesh’s 44th LNG cargo of 2026.

The names of the seven companies and the total cost of the 14 LNG cargoes were not disclosed.

Fertiliser and edible oil imports

The government approved the import of 115,000 tonnes of muriate of potash (MOP) fertiliser under two proposals from the Ministry of Agriculture. Of the total, 80,000 tonnes will be imported through the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) and 35,000 tonnes through Russia’s JSC Foreign Economic Corporation (Prodintorg). The price has been fixed at $377.63 per tonne in both cases.

The committee also approved the import of urea fertiliser from Saudi Arabia’s SABIC Agri-Nutrients Company for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The purchase will cost Tk213.19 crore, at a price of $430 per tonne.

It also approved the purchase of 20,000 tonnes, equivalent to 20 million litres, of refined palm olein through an open tender. The purchase will cost Tk368.20 crore, with the price set at Tk184.10 per litre. Shabnam Vegetable Oil Industries will supply the edible oil.

A proposal to appoint a consultant for a feasibility study and conceptual design of multimodal transport hubs at Dhaka Airport and Kamalapur stations under Bangladesh Railway’s Green Railway Transport Preparatory Technical Assistance Project was also approved. The work will cost Tk536.66 million.

The committee further approved a one-year extension of technical services from Japan’s MHI, the general contractor for the Ghorashal-Palash Fertiliser Company, to ensure uninterrupted production and maintenance. The contract will cost Tk395.26 million.

Other economic decisions

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also gave in-principle approval for Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) to sign a government-to-government contract with UAE-based Fertiglobe Distribution Limited to import urea fertiliser during FY2026-27.

It also considered a proposal for final approval to select private partners to restart Darowani Textile Mill and Magura Textile Mill, both under the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation, through public-private partnerships.

In addition, the committee gave in-principle approval to procure 40 driving simulators for 40 technical training centres under the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).