Bangladesh, Sept. 10 -- Absence of adequate facilities to store liquefied natural gas (LNG) is an unresolved issue for which Bangladesh is paying a heavy price. The country has increasingly become dependent on imported LNG to meet its growing energy needs, yet it has built almost no buffer against disruptions in supply, bad weather or sudden technical failures. As a result, the country is often compelled to buy LNG for immediate consumption, regardless of whether international prices are favourable or prohibitively high.

Advertisement The consequences are particularly costly. State-run Petrobangla frequently has to pay demurrage to global LNG suppliers when cargo vessels cannot unload their consignments. During the monsoon, rough weathe...