United News of Bangladesh

The government on Tuesday approved separate proposals for procuring one crore liters of refined soybean oil and 40,000 metric tons of fertiliser to meet the growing demand for the country. The approval came from a meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase at the Secretariat with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair. During the meeting, a total of four purchase proposals from different ministries and divisions namely from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industries, and the Road Transport and Highways Division were approved. As per a proposal from the Ministry of Commerce, the government would procure one crore litres of refined soybean oil through the local Open Tender Method (National) method from Sonargaon Seeds Crushing Mills Ltd., Dhaka at around Tk 180.85 crore with the per liter price at Tk 180.85. In response to a proposal from the Ministry of Industries, the government would import 40,000 metric tons of bulk granular urea fertiliser from SABIC Agri-nutrients Company, Saudi Arabia with around Tk 191.41 crore with per ton price at US$390. Responding to another proposal from the Road Transport and Highways Division, the day’s meeting entrusted with the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) for procurement of non-consultancy service for delivery of commercial driver training under Package with around Tk 230.72 crore under the “Bangladesh Road Safety Project,” jointly financed by the Government of Bangladesh and the World Bank. Another proposal from the Road Transport and Highways Division was placed for the construction of the Nalua–Baherchar Bridge over the Pandab–Paira River including approach road, service road, river training works, toll plaza, electro mechanical and ancillary works at the 27th km of the Barishal (Dinerarpool)–Laxmipasha–Dumki Road. The project is being implemented by the Roads and Highways Department with joint financing from the Government of Bangladesh and the OPEC Fund. Hidden hands in the fields: Dealers blamed for artificial fertiliser shortage in north After detailed discussions, the work was awarded to the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), China with a total cost of Tk 899.62 crore.

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed on Tuesday (November 18) said the government is reviewing the proposed procurement of body cameras to ensure transparency, rational planning and appropriate use in sensitive operational areas. The initial proposal sought a very large number of body cameras, prompting the committees to ask the authorities concerned to revisit the plan, pricing and procurement method, he told reports after meetings of the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs and the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase at the Secretariat. He said the revised plan should adopt a more rational, need-based approach. “The procurement should be rational. We suggested that body cameras be used in particularly sensitive and critical areas, not everywhere,” he said, adding that the Home Ministry shares the same view. The adviser said the purpose of introducing body cameras is to strengthen monitoring, improve accountability and support evidence-based action. Read more: Govt to decide on body camera purchase for police within days: Finance Adviser “The idea is not to deploy body cameras indiscriminately but to ensure they serve their intended purpose where sensitivity and oversight are crucial,” he added. On whether the number of cameras will be reduced, Dr Salehuddin said rationalisation is likely. “The number will be reduced, but I cannot say by how much at this stage. We will be able to comment once the revised proposal is submitted,” he said. He added that the revised proposal will be placed very soon. On September 23, the government approved procurement of around 40,000 body cameras for police personnel ahead of the national election scheduled for February. The cameras are to be procured through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to ensure quality, transparency and neutrality. Dr Salehuddin earlier said buying through UNDP would help avoid controversies over quality and pricing as international tenders would be floated and responsibility placed with the agency. Read more: Govt okays procurement of new firearms for Ansar and VDP

The government has awarded a contract to a Chinese firm to expand the facilities of Mongla port. Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase at a meeting, with Finance Advisor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair, approved a number of purchase proposals including awarding the contract to the Chinese firm and also importing one LNG cargo and awarding three separate contracts for power distribution network expansion in Khulna division. The committee awarded the contract to Beijing-based China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for expanding the facilities of the Mongla Port and improving its service at a cost of Tk 4046.48 crore. The Ministry of Shipping had moved the proposal to award the contract to the Chinese firm through direct purchase method (DMP). Bangladesh, Kuwait pledge stronger ties in trade, energy and investment As per a proposal of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, the state-owned Petrobangla will import the LNG cargo from US-based Excelerate Energy LP at a total cost Tk 664.40 with per MMBtu at $14.30. Three separate proposals of Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (REB) under the Power Division received the nod of the committee. Under a project, the REB will procure a total of 72,897 SPC poles for Khulna Division through three separate tender proposals to modernise the electricity distribution network and capacity building.