Dhaka, Jan. 12 -- Bangladesh Bank has announced measures to ease the import of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in an effort to address a prolonged supply shortage that has disrupted household and business activity across the country.

In a notice issued on Monday, the central bank said LPG importers would be allowed to bring in supplies on buyers' or suppliers' credit from offshore banking units of local banks, as well as from foreign banks and financial institutions. LPG imported under such arrangements will be treated as an industrial raw material.

The decision comes amid an LPG shortage that has persisted for more than a month, pushing up cylinder prices by between Tk 350 and Tk 1,000, depending on size. Although the government sets LPG...