United News of Bangladesh

The government on Tuesday recommended approving a proposal to procure about 53.87 million units of Anti-TB drugs (4FDC) under the revenue budget, aiming to strengthen tuberculosis control efforts across the country. The approval came at the sixth meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase this year, held at the Bangladesh Secretariat, with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed presiding. The Health Services Division proposed the purchase of the drugs under Package No GR-2557 at a total cost of Tk 77.57 crore, with M/S Reneta PLC selected as the supplier. Health officials said the procurement will ensure uninterrupted availability of life-saving medicines across government health facilities and support the national TB elimination programme. The day’s meeting also recommended approval of a proposal to procure 14.82 lakh GeneXpert cartridges through the Direct Procurement Method (DPM) at a cost of Tk 237.12 crore. 82 lakh users of recreational drugs in Bangladesh: Survey The cartridges will be supplied by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to ensure uninterrupted diagnostic services, particularly for tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. The committee further allowed the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education to renew 11 contracts with Grameenphone Limited for providing internet connectivity to 40,586 government primary schools under the Fourth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-4). Officials said the decisions reflect the government’s commitment to strengthening health services, education infrastructure and service delivery through transparent procurement processes.