Transparent Tenders: ADP Overhaul Announced
Planning Adviser Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud has announced that all project tender processes will now be conducted online to eliminate irregularities and ensure transparency. “The law has been finalized on this matter. It will be published in the Gazette next week. This will end the dominance of a few mafia-run companies,” he said.
Dr. Mahmud made these remarks on Wednesday, September 17, during a post-ECNEC briefing at the NEC Conference Hall in Agargaon, Dhaka.
Explaining the online tender process, he said, “Once this law is in place, the dominance of a few mafia-run companies across sectors such as railways and energy will end.”
The adviser emphasized that institutions with outstanding loans or past irregularities will no longer be considered eligible. “Work will be assigned based on merit, not influence. If an institution has bad debts or has been involved in previous irregularities, it will be disqualified from tender evaluation,” he added.
Highlighting the government’s efforts to ensure transparency in project implementation, Dr. Mahmud said, “The government has initiated a ‘silent revolution’ to bring transparency at various stages of project execution. Irregularities and corruption have been stopped to the extent that even project directors are no longer eager to manipulate the system.”
He further noted that future projects will utilize khas (government-owned) land instead of acquiring agricultural land. “Many government khas lands remain unused. A committee of advisers has been formed to identify how much khas land exists and whether it is occupied; the committee will submit a report within two months,” he said.
Regarding the finalization of government procurement laws, he stated, “Many influential businesspeople have left the country, so no one dared to obstruct the law-making process.”
On the pace of the Annual Development Programme (ADP), Dr. Mahmud said the government will hold a meeting next week to assess the reasons for delays. “Once the country graduates from LDC status, loans will no longer be available on easy terms. Therefore, the government sees this period as a last opportunity to secure loans under favorable conditions for good projects.”
