Bangladesh spent BDT 597.13 billion on liquefied natural gas imports in the 2025–26 fiscal year to ease its gas shortage. The government is now planning several more floating LNG terminals (FSRUs) and has already approved one in principle. If at least two of the planned terminals are built, the country’s LNG import volumes and supply capacity will rise. Based on current global prices and the expected increase in capacity, however, annual LNG import costs could exceed BDT 1.2 trillion, according to energy experts and Petrobangla officials. Some estimate the bill could reach at least BDT 1.5 trillion if current spot prices persist.

LNG imports to meet domestic gas demand have so far cost BDT 2.77 trillion. Petrobangla has financed them through repeated gas price increases, government subsidies, foreign loans and the Gas Development Fund (GDF). Technical faults, accidents and bad weather have also disrupted supply through the existing terminals on several occasions.

The ongoing gas shortage has increased power cuts, disrupting factory production and putting pressure on households. Industry insiders warn that higher LNG imports and the cost of building new terminals could place heavy financial strain on the government as it seeks to address future shortages.

Bangladesh has two floating LNG terminals at Moheshkhali, with a combined supply capacity of 1.1 billion cubic feet a day. If at least two more terminals of the same capacity are built, total LNG supply capacity would double to 2.2 billion cubic feet a day. The country imported 113 LNG cargoes in FY 2025–26; subsidies added another BDT 126 billion to the bill.

Energy experts say the LNG import bill would inevitably double if two new terminals are built, using last fiscal year’s import costs and cargo volumes as the baseline. The final figure, however, would vary with changes in import volumes and prices. Those prices depend on global conditions such as the Middle East conflict, whether the Strait of Hormuz remains open and the wider global security environment.

Petrobangla officials do not dispute the projection. If Bangladesh ends up with four LNG terminals and all are supplying gas, the annual cost could reach at least BDT 1 trillion, even without doubling from current levels, they said. Bangladesh already has several long-term LNG contracts. Once those deliveries start, spot market purchases will fall, bringing down the cost.

Petrobangla sources said the country plans to import 115 LNG cargoes during the ongoing 2026–27 fiscal year. Qatari LNG shipments have fallen because of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing Bangladesh to turn to the spot market to meet demand. If current market prices hold, LNG imports alone could cost BDT 900 billion this fiscal year. The government has set aside BDT 65 billion in subsidies for the LNG sector, but Petrobangla had already drawn BDT 75 billion within the first month and a half of the fiscal year.

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), an energy think tank, said in a report in December 2025 that Bangladesh’s LNG import bill could reach $8.5 billion, or BDT 1.045 trillion at BDT 123 to the dollar, in FY 2029–30 if new gas discoveries remain limited and international LNG prices stay volatile.

The estimate assumes an average LNG price of $12 per MMBtu. High LNG prices and the government’s financial constraints could deepen the energy supply shortfall and disrupt economic activity, the report said.

Shafiqul Alam, IEEFA’s lead energy analyst, told Bonik Barta: “The cost of importing LNG to meet gas demand is rising steadily. There’s no doubt it will rise further.”

The previous government’s gas supply plan included two floating terminals and one land-based LNG terminal, Alam said. “If the current government builds them and they run at even 65 percent capacity, Bangladesh will need 730 billion cubic feet of gas by 2030. Meeting that through imports would require at least $8 billion for LNG (at $12 per MMBtu). At current prices, the figure could be several billion dollars higher. The big question is whether we will be able to meet this cost. We are already struggling,” he said.

Spot energy prices have more than doubled since the conflict in the Middle East began. The Japan-Korea Marker put spot LNG at about $22.94 per million British thermal units, up 98.61 percent from a year earlier and nearly 114 percent from $10.72 per MMBtu in February 2026.

The cabinet committee on government purchase on Monday approved two LNG cargoes. South Korea’s Posco International Corporation will supply one at $24.625 per MMBtu, while the UK’s TotalEnergies Gas & Power Ltd will supply the other at $24.25. Cargoes bought in February 2026 cost about $10 per MMBtu, roughly half the current price.

Experts warn that building new LNG terminals and using them to supply gas is an expensive way to meet demand. Alongside such projects, they recommend attracting foreign investment to the domestic gas sector to raise output and putting greater emphasis on renewable power.

Energy expert and Independent University, Bangladesh Vice-Chancellor M Tamim told Bonik Barta: “Bangladesh spends $13 to $14 billion a year on the energy sector. Rising energy prices could push that bill above $17-18 billion. If LNG imports cost BDT 590 billion last fiscal year, the bill will be much higher at current prices.”

“To ease the pressure, foreign companies could be brought into the domestic gas sector, which could bring new gas on stream quickly. At the same time, renewable energy must be expanded by any means,” Tamim added.

Asked whether the cost could double if the government builds two more terminals, based on last fiscal year’s LNG import spending, he said: “It will definitely be higher. Even on a minimum estimate, it will be between BDT 1.2 trillion and BDT 1.3 trillion.”

Petrobangla is working simultaneously on building LNG terminals and increasing domestic gas production to raise supply. Its director of operations and mines, Mohammad Shoaib, told Bonik Barta that the gap between gas demand and supply is widening steadily.

“To address this, the plan is to build LNG import infrastructure rather than rely solely on domestic gas exploration. Unless a large domestic gas field is discovered or another source is developed, there are currently few alternatives to LNG imports for increasing supply. Petrobangla has planned to drill 150 wells, of which 30 have been drilled and workovers completed. If more wells are drilled and domestic gas is added to the supply, import costs will fall somewhat,” the Petrobangla director said.