BPPA moves to give local goods preference in public procurement

The Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) has moved to introduce provisions giving preference to locally produced goods in public procurement, in line with the government’s “Bangladesh First” principle.

The move follows the Public Procurement (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, which provides for such preference under Section 25(A).

The BPPA held a consultation with stakeholders at its conference room in the capital on Saturday to gather feedback on proposed amendments to the Public Procurement Rules, 2025..

Abu Sayed Md Kamruzzaman, chief executive officer of the BPPA, presided over the consultation.

Shah Eyamin-Ul Islam, director of BPPA, presented the proposed amendments, focusing on preferential treatment for locally produced goods. He also sought stakeholders’ opinions on setting thresholds to promote start-ups and innovative ventures, and introducing a Limited Tendering Method (LTM) enlistment system for industrial units registered with the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC).

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Around 20 representatives from Invest Bangladesh, the ministries of industries and commerce, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Science and Technology Division, BSCIC and the Department of Information and Communication Technology took part in the consultation.

Participants welcomed the proposed preference for locally produced goods but stressed the need for a list of eligible products and a clear definition of local production.

They said the authorities would need to determine the proportion of local content required for a product to qualify for preferential treatment. They also called for a careful assessment of the potential impacts of making the preference mandatory to prevent misuse of the provision.

The participants highlighted the need for close coordination among relevant ministries and agencies to implement the measure effectively.

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The consultation also discussed criteria for identifying start-ups. BPPA officials asked the ICT Ministry representative to provide information on any existing criteria or certification system for defining and identifying start-ups.

The BPPA had earlier discussed the proposed provisions with a technical working group comprising representatives of major procuring agencies.

The BPPA plans to finalise the amended rules soon.