Japan Reaffirms Bangladesh Security Partnership, LPG Prices Slashed

Japan has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening counter-terrorism efforts and security cooperation with Bangladesh and the wider international community, while Bangladesh has also announced a significant reduction in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), bringing relief to consumers.

Japan Pledges Continued Counter-Terrorism Cooperation

Japan will continue working closely with Bangladesh and international partners to reinforce counter-terrorism measures and improve security, Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Shimada Tamaki has said.

He made the remarks during a memorial ceremony honouring the victims of the terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka’s Gulshan area on 1 July 2016, in which seven Japanese nationals lost their lives. The event was held on Thursday morning at the Metro Rail Exhibition and Information Centre (MEIC) at the Uttara Depot of Dhaka’s metro rail system and was also broadcast online.

The ceremony began with a one-minute silence in memory of all those killed in the attack. At its conclusion, attendees paid floral tributes before a memorial plaque bearing the names of the victims.

Addressing the gathering, Shimada said Japan remembers every victim of what he described as a “brutal and unjust terrorist attack”. He stressed that Japan remains determined to ensure such a tragedy is never repeated and pledged continued cooperation with Bangladesh and the international community to strengthen both counter-terrorism initiatives and broader security arrangements.

The seven Japanese nationals killed in the attack had been members of the preparatory study team for the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project. Their technical expertise and planning work contributed to the development of what has since become Bangladesh’s metro rail network, a landmark infrastructure project aimed at improving urban transport in the capital.

As in previous years, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) organised the memorial to honour its seven colleagues. The annual event serves not only as a tribute to those who lost their lives but also as a reminder of the importance of international cooperation in promoting peace, security and sustainable development.

The Holey Artisan Bakery attack remains one of Bangladesh’s deadliest terrorist incidents and continues to shape regional discussions on security cooperation and counter-terrorism preparedness.

Government Announces Major LPG Price Reduction

In a separate development, the government has announced a substantial reduction in the retail price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), lowering the cost of a standard 12-kilogram cylinder by Tk357.

Under the revised pricing, the maximum retail price of a 12kg LPG cylinder has been set at Tk1,528.

The new rates were announced at a press conference held on Thursday at the hearing room of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), located on the sixth floor of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) building in Ramna, Dhaka.

The latest adjustment follows an earlier price revision made on 2 June, when BERC reduced the price of a 12kg LPG cylinder from Tk1,940 to Tk1,885. On the same occasion, the regulator also lowered the price of autogas used in vehicles from Tk89.50 per litre to Tk86.93 per litre.

The latest reduction represents a much larger decrease than the previous adjustment and is expected to provide welcome financial relief for households and businesses that rely on LPG for cooking and other domestic uses. The revised prices take effect in accordance with BERC’s latest regulatory announcement.