State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has hinted at a possible surge in the prices of fuel oils.

The state minister was talking to journalists after a workshop in Dhaka on Tuesday.

The authorities were working on price adjustment, he said, adding that nothing had been decided as yet.

“The way global fuel prices are rising is very unusual. We need to think about how long this situation will last. The BPC (Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation) is counting hundreds of crores of taka in losses every day. I am thinking about whether to change the prices, where to make an adjustment or not. Then I will submit a proposal to the government,” he said.

“Our neighbouring countries make price adjustments. They increase [fuel oil prices] as they increase [in the international market], and vice versa. We are thinking whether or not we should do it as well,” he added.

Prices of fuel oils in Bangladesh were stable compared to those in India, Nasrul Hamid said.

The ministry was thinking about how a hike would affect passengers and the transport system, he said.

According to the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, the price of diesel per litre is much lower in Bangladesh than in other countries in Asia.

This month, the price of diesel in the country is Tk80 per litre, compared to Rs110 in India, Tk94 in Pakistan, Tk113 in Nepal, Tk101 in Sri Lanka and Tk205.52 in Hong Kong (local prices converted to taka).