Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has said the government is not planning to raise fuel oil prices for now, despite uncertainties surrounding the Iran-Israel conflict.

“We are not going there [raising oil prices]. We will wait further,” he told reporters on Tuesday following a meeting of the Advisers’ Council Committee on Government Purchase at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

While acknowledging that some commodity prices have increased due to the conflict, Dr Ahmed said the country’s existing purchase agreements remain unaffected. “Our previously-placed orders have not been impacted,” he noted.

Responding to questions on energy supplies, the adviser said the government is monitoring the situation and will respond if prices of liquefied natural gas (LNG) rise. He confirmed that approval had been given for LNG import cargo at the previous rate.

“If the conflict continues for a long time, it will exert significant pressure on us,” he said, adding that the energy ministry may be preparing for potential fallout.

Bangladesh, which heavily depends on LNG, could face wider implications as tensions in the region may disrupt global shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz. “The war may affect not just fuel but also fertiliser and maritime trade,” he warned, though he expressed hope that the conflict would not be prolonged.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the council approved the import of LNG and fertiliser. Petrobangla will import one LNG cargo from Excelerate Energy LP, USA, at a cost of Tk 6.12 billion. The committee also cleared a proposal to procure 30,000 tonnes of bagged granular urea fertiliser from Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company Limited for Tk 1.40 billion.