The Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill-2026 passed in the National Parliament

The Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday (April 9) passed the ‘Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill-2026’ to modernize and internationalize the country’s government procurement system. Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury moved the bill, which officially transforms the previously issued 2025 ordinance into law, focusing on sustainability, transparency, and "value for money."

Key Highlights of the Bill:

• Sustainability & Ethics: For the first time, the concept of Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) has been introduced. Procurement must now consider environmental protection, social development, and labor rights, strictly prohibiting child labor and wage violations.

• Technological Advancement: The bill introduces ‘Reverse Auctioning’ to increase competition and reduce costs, while making the use of the e-GP portal mandatory for all government purchases.

• Domestic Industry Protection: In international tenders for government-funded IT services, it is now mandatory to include local consulting firms as joint venture partners.

• Structural Reform: The Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) has been recognized as the lead regulatory body, and ‘Physical Services’ has been added as a distinct procurement category.

• Global Flexibility: Bangladeshi embassies and missions abroad are now permitted to follow international or local laws of their respective host countries for procurement, subject to Cabinet Committee approval.