Bangladesh’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given in-principle approval to import 14 additional liquefied natural gas cargoes to keep gas supplies normal in the country. The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury on Wednesday. The initiative is intended to serve the public interest by maintaining regular gas availability.

Separately, the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase approved a proposal from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division to import one LNG cargo. Singapore-based Aramco Trading Singapore Pte Ltd is scheduled to deliver the cargo between September 1 and 2 at a price of $23.93 per MMBtu. It will be the country’s 44th LNG cargo of the year.

Under the broader approval, the government will purchase a total of 14 cargoes directly from seven companies for state emergency needs, with two cargoes from each supplier. LNG import dependence has increased as gas demand has risen in industry, power generation, fertilizer production and other sectors. The government is pursuing supply through spot-market purchases, long-term contracts and emergency direct procurement.