The government on Tuesday approved a proposal to procure 17,050 shotguns for Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) in order to replace their old and outdated firearms.

The decision was taken at the meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase held at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, who chaired the meeting, told reporters that the existing firearms used by Ansar and VDP have become very old, making replacement essential to ensure operational effectiveness.

“We will procure around 17,000 12-bore shotguns for Ansar and VDP as the existing ones have become very old. The price we are getting is cost-effective and we found the purchase to be economically viable, so it has been approved,” he said.

He noted that the procurement proposal was evaluated on the basis of competitive pricing.

Responding to a query on whether the purchase has any connection to the upcoming national election, Dr Salehuddin said the procurement is  not election-related.

“This has nothing to do with the election. It is not an election issue. Ansar has long been in need of updated shotguns and this procurement was overdue,” he stated.

The proposal will now move through detailed scrutiny and procedures under the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP).

According to official sources, the estimated cost of each shotgun has been set at USD 146.

The total expenditure for the procurement is estimated at Tk 35.62 crore.

At a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs held on November 9, the proposal to procure 17,050 units of 12-bore shotguns for the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party through the direct purchase method received policy approval.

After inviting proposals under the direct purchase method, four companies submitted bids for supplying the shotguns.

Upon completion of all evaluation procedures and price negotiations, Turkey-based Bay Galatal was recommended as the lowest responsive bidder.

Subsequently, a decision was taken to procure 17,050 units of 12-bore shotguns from the company. 

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