Currently, 30 billion US dollars are spent annually on public procurement in Bangladesh. To ensure that there is no waste in such large expenditure, the government has put stress on proper and timely implementation of various projects. On an average, about 1500 projects are included in the Annual Development Program (ADP) every year. If it is possible to achieve the goals and objectives of these projects, then it will have huge positive impact on the country's economy.

Mr. Md. Mahfuzar Rahman, Director (Joint Secretary), Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA), said this as the chief guest at a workshop on BPPA's functions and exchange of experience on e-GP in Bhola on 13 April 2025.

Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Bhola, Mr. Md. Azad Jahan chaired the workshop held at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner's Office. The workshop organized by BPPA was managed by Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP).

Representatives of various procuring entities in the district, bank officers, tenderers, journalists and BCCP representatives were present at the workshop.

Mr. Md. Mahfuzar Rahman said, the current government is emphasizing on reforms and transparency in all areas. One of the reforms in public procurement is the digitization of public procurement or electronic Government Procurement (e-GP). “Currently, about 65 per cent of public procurement is being done through e-GP. We need to increase this to 100 per cent,” he noted.

He said, “Bangladesh’s e-GP system has already received appreciation at home and abroad. So far, 11 countries and 5 international organizations have observed Bangladesh’s e-GP system and its implementation. The electronic Contract Management (e-CMS) has been launched in the country through which real-time data on contract implementation can be monitored from the office. It is linked to the e-GP system. The tenderers’ payment is being sent to their accounts through e-CMS in e-GP system. In addition, e-audit has been launched. Work is underway to interconnect e-GP with the DVS system to verify the financial statements submitted by tenderers online.

Mentioning several positive achievements of e-GP, he said that in 2007, 70 per cent of tender notices could be published, which has now increased to 100 per cent. In 2007, only 10 per cent of work orders were awarded within the initial period of tender validity, which has increased to 96.63 per cent. The average number of responsible tenders against each tender has increased from only 3 to 10.68 in 2024.

Meanwhile, in a commendable move towards inclusivity and transparency, Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) continues its outreach beyond the capital, engaging with stakeholders at the grassroots level on public procurement and electronic government procurement (e-GP) issues.

Following a successful dialogue in Srimangal Upazila of Moulvibazar district, BPPA extended its efforts further by organizing another awareness and experience-sharing meeting on 15 April 2025 at Charfesson, a remote coastal upazila in the southern Bhola district, located approximately 255 kilometers from Dhaka.

This initiative reflects BPPA’s ongoing commitment to fostering a more participatory procurement environment by involving both tenderers and procuring entities (PEs) in meaningful discussions across the country. Several similar upazila-level engagements are also in the pipeline, as outlined in BPPA’s current work-plan.

The Charfesson programme was graced by the presence of Mr. Md Mahfuzar Rahman, Director (Joint Secretary) of BPPA, who attended the event as chief guest. Mr. Md Sakhawat Hossain, Director (Deputy Secretary), was present as the Special Guest. The event was presided over by Ms. Rasna Sharmin Shithi, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Charfesson.

By holding such dialogues far from the capital city, BPPA underscores its dedication to inclusive governance and capacity-building across all tiers of public procurement stakeholders.

Stating that the use of e-GP is being made mandatory in public procurement, Mr. Md. Mahfuzar Rahman said, all procuring entities (PEs) will have to invite tenders through e-GP. Therefore, everyone involved in the procurement process, including tenderers, must have proper knowledge about the e-GP system.

Addressing the tenderers, he said, “Like the procuring entities, you are also partners in implementing public procurement contracts. That is why you are the development partners of the government. Tenderers often face problems in getting tender security deposit back through banks. We are taking measures to resolve this problem.”

Mentioning that tenderers need to know how to submit tenders online, he said, “Submitting tenders through others by sharing password is a big risk. Why would you take this risk? We have e-GP help desk open 24 hours a day. You can call 16575 to get help related to e-GP.”

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mrs Rasna Sharmin Mithi said, the benefits of e-GP are numerous as it has reduced a lot of our extra work. “One of the priorities of BPPA is to ensure sustainable public procurement by increasing the use of e-GP and infusing dynamism into the country's development work. BPPA is doing a good job in this regard,” she mentioned.

She further said, “Since the advancement of the e-GP system is an ongoing process, with new features and modules being added to enhance it, it is important to familiarize everyone with these updates and encourage their use. At the same time, providing training to the relevant stakeholders is essential. Moreover, collecting experiences and feedback from the field level regarding the implementation of procurement contracts, adherence to the Public Procurement Rules, 2008, and the use of the e-GP system is also necessary to make the system more user-friendly. This workshop has been organized with that very objective in mind.”