A bill seeking to amend the Public Procurement Act to facilitate the participation of newly registered businesses and young entrepreneurs in government procurement processes was placed in Parliament on Wednesday.
Planning and Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury placed the Public Procurement (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the House.
The bill was sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Planning for further scrutiny and asked to submit its report within two working days.
The proposed legislation stipulates that no unnecessary conditions can be imposed when determining eligibility for participation in procurement processes if they restrict the participation of newly registered individuals or young entrepreneurs.
It also states that long-term experience, high annual turnover, experience in executing projects for government organisations or experience in handling a single large contract cannot be made mandatory eligibility criteria.
However, procuring entities may impose specific requirements in exceptional cases, taking into account the nature, complexity and risks of the procurement.
Under the proposed amendment, the government will be able to give preference to products manufactured or produced in Bangladesh, or make the purchase of certain categories of locally produced goods mandatory, to promote domestic industries, increase local production and employment, and enhance the contribution of public procurement to the national economy.
The government will also be able to relax eligibility requirements to protect domestic industries and ensure the participation of new bidders, micro and small bidders, women bidders and disadvantaged groups in procurement processes.
The bill further stipulates that any foreign individual or group of individuals seeking to participate in pre-qualification, expressions of interest, tenders or proposal processes under the Act must form a joint venture with a Bangladeshi individual or group.
Earlier, the government issued an ordinance on the matter. The bill was placed in Parliament to repeal the ordinance and incorporate the proposed changes into law.
In his statement outlining the objectives of the bill, Planning Minister Amir Khosru said ensuring transparency, accountability, non-discrimination, equal treatment, efficiency, open competition and protection of domestic interests in public procurement was essential for the optimal use of public funds in the interests of the state and the people.
The government enacted the Public Procurement Act in 2006 to establish the legal framework for public procurement management. The law has subsequently been amended five times up to 2026, he said.
The minister said the need to address existing discriminatory provisions and ensure competitive participation and equal rights for all had prompted the government to issue the Public Procurement (Amendment) Ordinance on September 21.
Following inter-ministerial consultations and public feedback, the government undertook necessary revisions and restructuring to formulate the Public Procurement (Second Amendment) Bill, he added.
The proposed legislation is expected to strengthen transparency and accountability in public procurement while safeguarding the interests of the state and the public through greater priority for domestic industries, the minister said.