Photo : Collected

DHAKA, Aug 21, 2026 (BSS) - Ruling out blanket permission for offline 
procurement, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bangladesh Public 
Procurement Authority (BPPA), Abu Sayed Md. Kamruzzaman said procuring 
entities must specify the number of packages they intend to procure offline 
and provide a definite date for switching to e-GP before seeking a waiver 
from the e-GP system.

"The BPPA will not give blanket permission for offline procurement, as the 
present government is determined to bring all public procurement under e-GP," 
he said at an orientation on the BPPA and its functions held yesterday for 
the first batch of the four-week training course on Basic Public Procurement 
Management (PPM), which commenced at ESCB on August 8, 2026. 

The training will conclude on September 1, 2026. A total of 28 officers from 
various government offices, including four women officers, are participating 
in the training, said a press release here today.

The CEO of BPPA urged the participants to make the best use of the 
opportunities offered by the four-week training. 

He made a comprehensive presentation on the establishment of BPPA, its 
functions and governing board, the e-GP system and its progress, 
opportunities and challenges, Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP), 
implementation of BPPA project, and its future plans.

Focusing on the principles of Fit for Purpose and Value for Money in public 
procurement, the CEO said that price alone should not be the sole 
consideration in sustainable procurement. "Sustainable procurement is very 
important for achieving sustainable development in the country," he said. 

He noted that people, planet and profit are vital dimensions of sustainable 
procurement and highlighted the importance of the 4Rs-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 
and Recover-in promoting sustainability.

As part of their ongoing training at ESCB, the participants visited the BPPA 
office to gain practical exposure to the e-GP system, Help Desk, Review Panel 
and other aspects of public procurement. 

Shaikh Muhammad Refat Ali, director (Training) of BPPA, accompanied the 
participants to different sections of the Authority. At the BPPA conference 
room, he briefed them on the functions and activities of BPPA and shared 
copies of the Authority's Annual Report with the participants.

Director, Rules, former CPTU (former Additional Secretary) Masud Akter Khan, 
provided an orientation on the process through which BPPA provides opinions 
on procurement-related queries and letters frequently received from procuring 
entities. 

He informed the participants that a notification on the issuance of such 
opinions is currently under process.

Aparna Baidya, director of the BPPA, spoke on the procedures and objectives 
of procurement post-review and shared with the participants a notification 
issued in this regard. 

Director of BPPA Mohammad Ali Ahmed Khan briefed them on the procedures of 
the Review Panel and the Debarment Review Board.

The four-week PPM training course is being conducted by BPPA under the 
Procurement Modernization to Improve Public Service Delivery (PMIPSD) project 
with support from the World Bank.