Dhaka, Sept. 28 -- An acute crisis has gripped Bangladesh's bottled Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) market, with 12-kg cylinders selling at Tk 300 to Tk 500 above government-fixed rates as pipeline gas shortfalls, Middle East geopolitical tensions, and skyrocketing international freight costs strain supplies.

On Sunday, 12-kg LPG cylinders were retailing between Tk 1,830 and Tk 2,100 across various cities, despite the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) fixing the price at Tk 1,585 on September 10.

Even at inflated rates, consumers face severe supply shortages, with many retail outlets completely out of stock.

Public sector LPG operator LP Gas Limited (LPGL) has kept its 12.5-kg cylinder price unchanged at Tk 777, but its mark...