The subsidies are expected to make a quantum leap this fiscal year, driven by the imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), officials at the finance division said.
This is a new head for subsidies as Bangladesh is importing this alternative fuel to combat gas crisis, especially in the Chattogram region.
The maiden floating storage and re-gasification unit or FSRU carried 133,000 cubic meters of LNG from Qatar in April.
Its commissioning has not started yet, though all necessary preparations had been made by Chattogram-based gas distributing company, said Khaiz Ahmed Mozumder, chief executive at the Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company.
In the meantime, the government has devised a plan to raise its subsidy outlay by 232 per cent to Tk 196 billion for non-financial institutions, including the Petrobangla.
The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), the sole importer of petroleum products, will also be involved in importing LNG.