Direct procurement is legal in Bangladesh only within the grounds and process set by the Public Procurement Act 2006, as amended, and the Public Procurement Rules 2025 1,2. Section 32 permits it in listed cases such as a sole supplier for technical reasons, limited extensions and urgent needs 1. Section 68 gives a separate route for state necessity or disaster in the public interest, on a Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs recommendation 3. Approval to examine a route is not a contract award.
Main law
Public Procurement Act 2006, current amended text 1
Current rules
Public Procurement Rules 2025, effective 28 September 2025 2
Normal starting point
Open tender under section 31 1
Direct method grounds
Listed in section 32 1
State necessity route
Section 68 and CCEA recommendation 3
Reasons
Must be recorded 1

Open tender is the starting rule

Section 31 of the Public Procurement Act makes open tender the first method to consider for goods, works and physical services 1. The Act bars steps designed to avoid competition or discriminate among bidders 1.

The BPPA says the Public Procurement Rules 2025 took effect on 28 September 2025 with the amended Act. The rules made e-GP mandatory for public procurement and require disclosure of the actual beneficial owner of contract awards 2.

When section 32 permits a direct method

Section 32 permits direct procurement when only one supplier can provide the goods, works or physical services for technical reasons 1. It covers defined additions from an original supplier or contractor, purchases on exceptional advantageous terms, certain purchases from state-owned industry and urgent needs within prescribed limits 1.

The head of the procuring entity or an authorised officer must approve use of a method outside open tender. The procuring entity must keep a written record of its reasons 1. For an international direct purchase, section 34 permits the method where only one tenderer can supply for technical reasons or for defined extensions to an original supply, work or service 1.

The section 68 public-interest route

Section 68 says the government may use direct procurement or another method for a state necessity or disaster, in the public interest, on the recommendation of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs 3. National security procurement still follows the Act if the government has not decided otherwise 3.

A CCEA recommendation addresses the procurement route. It does not by itself establish that technical evaluation, negotiation, final approval and contract signature have occurred. Those later steps need their own dated records.

What the 2025 rules add

Schedule 8 of the Public Procurement Rules 2025 sets the direct procurement workflow. It calls for the method to appear in the procurement plan, the legal conditions to be met, reasons to be recorded and head-of-entity approval 4. The schedule moves through specification, supplier identification, negotiation, approval and contract steps 4.

BPPA publishes standard documents for direct procurement. Their existence shows that direct procurement is a regulated method, not an exemption from documentation 5.

What is public about the border proposal

No CCEA recommendation, procurement plan, technical finding, negotiated draft, award notice or signed border-management contract was found on the Cabinet Division, Home Affairs or BPPA public portals by 19 October 2026. The public legal record is enough to explain the test, but not enough to decide whether a reported proposal meets it.

A sound review needs the cited legal ground, the written reason for avoiding open tender, the approving authority, the technical evaluation, the price comparison, the beneficial ownership disclosure and the final award record 1,24.

Common questions

Does direct procurement mean no rules apply?

No. The Act and Rules set grounds, approvals, records and a workflow 1,24.

Can national security justify direct procurement?

Section 68 permits a special public-interest route for state necessity on a CCEA recommendation. It says national security procurement follows the Act if government has not decided otherwise 3.

Does a CCEA recommendation award a contract?

No. It can support a procurement route under section 68 3. Evaluation, approval and award records are separate steps.

Must Bangladesh record why it chose the method?

Yes. Section 32 requires the reasons to be recorded 1.

Was the reported border contract awarded?

No official award notice or signed contract was found on the public portals checked on 19 October 2026.

Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked on this page before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.

Sources

  1. Laws of Bangladesh: Public Procurement Act 2006, sections 31 to 34, current amended text (viewed 19 October 2026)
  2. Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority: Public Procurement Rules 2025 overview and effective date (viewed 19 October 2026)
  3. Laws of Bangladesh: Public Procurement Act 2006, section 68, current amended text (viewed 19 October 2026)
  4. Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority: Public Procurement Rules 2025, Schedule 8 direct procurement method (28 September 2025)
  5. Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority: Standard documents for direct procurement (viewed 19 October 2026)

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