Govt to procure 15,000 pieces of dunnage

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today (24 August) recommended policy approval for the direct procurement of 15,000 pieces of dunnage for use in food warehouses across the country and for integrating several digital platforms into Bangladesh's immigration management system.

The recommendations were made at the 27th meeting of the committee this year, held today at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in the chair.

The two proposals were placed before the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for policy consideration, and the committee recommended their approval.

The committee recommended policy approval for the Food Ministry's proposal to procure 15,000 pieces of dunnage through the direct procurement method to facilitate the stacking of food grains at various warehouses under the Directorate General of Food.

The procurement is being proposed under Section 68(1) of the Public Procurement Act, 2006, citing state emergency needs and public interest.

The proposal involves procurement above the price ceiling specified under Rule 99(2) of the Public Procurement Rules, 2025.

Dunnage is used in warehouses to keep sacks of food grains elevated from the floor, helping protect stored food from moisture and other damage.

The committee also recommended policy approval for a proposal from the Ministry of Home Affairs concerning the integration of the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), Passenger Name Record (PNR), e-VISA, e-TA and a Sovereign Data Analytics Platform with the existing immigration management system.

The proposal seeks to adopt a procurement method under Section 68(1) and (2) of the Public Procurement Act, 2006, citing national security requirements.

The integration is expected to strengthen Bangladesh's immigration management by enabling the existing system to work with passenger information, visa and travel authorisation data, as well as a sovereign data analytics platform.