The government plans to revise the Bangladesh Gas Act 2010, proposing higher penalties for unauthorized gas usage and introducing measures to hold property owners accountable for such violations, encompassing land, flats, or buildings.
Under the proposed Bangladesh Gas (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, fines for unauthorized residential gas consumption, currently ranging from Tk 10,000 to Tk 20,000, could increase to a maximum of Tk 40,000 if approved at the forthcoming advisory council meeting.
Commercial users might face fines of up to Tk 80,000, doubling the current penalty of Tk 40,000. Industrial users, captive power plants, and CNG refueling stations could see fines escalating to Tk 4 lakh from the current Tk 2 lakh.
Furthermore, discrepancies in the power and fertilizer sectors might result in fines of up to Tk 10 lakh, a significant increase from the current cap of Tk 5 lakh. The imprisonment terms stipulated in the draft ordinance remain unchanged, ranging from six months to five years.
A new provision in the offenses and penalties section specifies that if gas is used unlawfully, whether directly or with the involvement of a contractor or any other party, the premises owner where the offense occurs, along with any implicated gas company employee, contractor, or individual, will be considered offenders.
The draft ordinance outlines that unauthorized gas usage by non-metered consumers with excess stoves beyond the approved limit, as well as excessive gas consumption by metered consumers surpassing the approved hourly load, will be construed as violations.
Regarding rule formulation under the ordinance, the government has restricted the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission’s (BERC) role. While the previous Bangladesh Gas Act 2010 mandated rule framing through a gazette notification in consultation with the regulator, the new ordinance does not mention BERC’s involvement.
