The Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) has a defined roadmap for developing e-GP Version 2.0 to build a modern, citizen-centric, and technology-driven public procurement system. Chief Executive Officer (Secretary) of BPPA, Abu Sayed Md. Kamruzzaman, highlighted this in an exclusive interview. The reform journey, which began in 2001, has evolved into one of the country's significant digital governance advancements.
Kamruzzaman noted that the public procurement system in Bangladesh has undergone various reforms, starting with the Public Procurement Regulations in 2003, followed by the enactment of the Public Procurement Act in 2006 and the Public Procurement Rules in 2008. These efforts culminated in the Public Procurement Rules (PPR) of 2025, alongside amendments to the Public Procurement Act of 2006.
The establishment of the BPPA in 2023 transformed the former Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) into an autonomous regulatory authority with expanded responsibilities. Kamruzzaman emphasized that the government has now constituted a high-level committee to review and further amend the Public Procurement Act and the PPR to promote fair competition, encourage new entrepreneurship, and modernize the procurement regime.
Bangladesh’s public procurement has expanded significantly, with the annual value increasing from about US$3 billion in 2003 to around US$10 billion in 2010 and now standing at nearly US$30 billion. As the national budget and the Annual Development Programme (ADP) continue to grow, procurement volumes will inevitably increase further. Managing this scale demands stronger institutions, advanced technological capabilities, and a highly skilled workforce.
Recognizing these challenges, the BPPA recently organized three stakeholder consultation workshops. These consultations focused on enhancing the e-GP system, ensuring full implementation of mandatory e-GP, and strengthening BPPA’s institutional capacity. The workshops generated valuable recommendations from government agencies, development partners, and private sector, academia, and procurement professionals.
On sustainable procurement, Kamruzzaman stressed the need for public procurement to evolve beyond traditional focuses on economy, efficiency, transparency, and accountability. He advocated for embedding sustainability principles, promoting green and climate-resilient procurement, encouraging innovation, supporting local industries, expanding digital procurement, and ensuring value for money throughout the procurement lifecycle.
The BPPA CEO highlighted the progress made in public procurement reforms and digitization. At the fourth meeting of the BPPA Governing Board, the Minister for Finance and Planning expressed satisfaction with BPPA's institutional development and commended the reduction in procurement lead time from around 100 days in 2010 to just 54 days today. These improvements have significantly enhanced transparency, efficiency, accountability, and competition in public procurement. The significance of these reforms lies in their potential to drive inclusive growth, environmental stewardship, and improved public service delivery in Bangladesh.
