Dhaka: The government has constituted four Debarment Review Boards to oversee debarment orders issued by Procuring Entities (PEs) against bidders, suppliers, service providers, or consultants. This move marks a significant step towards enhancing transparency and accountability in public procurement processes.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, any aggrieved party can appeal to the Debarment Review Board under Rule 149 (11) of the Public Procurement Rules, 2025 (PPR, 2025). The PEs are empowered to debar entities from participating in procurement activities based on specific grounds outlined in PPR, 2025.
In an interview with BSS, S.M. Moin Uddin Ahmed, CEO of the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA), emphasized the importance of this reform. He stated, "The review board is independent and BPPA cannot interfere in its functioning. BPPA only provides logistics support to the review panel."
BPPA officials explained that the establishment of the Debarment Review Boards aligns with the Public Procurement Act, 2006 (PPA, 2006), and Rule 149(11) along with Schedule 21 of the PPR, 2025. Each board consists of three members with expertise in public procurement, legal and administrative frameworks, and business or trade bodies.
The initiative aims to bolster fairness, transparency, and accountability in public procurement while ensuring a robust system of checks and balances in the exercise of authority by PEs. The boards are based at the BPPA, which will supply the necessary logistical support to ensure their independent operation.
Each Debarment Review Board will serve a tenure of three years from its constitution date and will remain operational until new boards are formed.