Dhaka: The government has approved a proposal to procure three jeeps, 100 patrol pickup vehicles, and 60 microbuses for the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in the current fiscal year (FY26) through the Direct Procurement Method (DPM) rather than the Open Tender Method (OTM). This decision aims to improve the operational capability of RAB.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the approval was given during the 3rd meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs. The meeting was chaired by Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed and took place at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Following the meeting, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan briefed reporters on the decisions made.
The vehicle procurement is part of the project titled 'Enhancement of Operational Capacity of RAB Forces (1st Revised)'. The Economic Affairs Committee also approved another proposal to remove the 'Construction of Multimodal Hub at Dhaka Bimanbandar Railway Station' from the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project list. This proposal was submitted by the Ministry of Railways and was recommended for approval after thorough discussions.
Additionally, the Power and Energy Adviser disclosed that the meeting addressed five agenda items. These included proposals from various ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, and two proposals from the Ministry of Railways.
The first agenda item involved providing regular subsidies to farmers affected by damage to potato cultivation. This proposal was sent back for further examination to ensure that subsidies effectively reach the intended recipients. The Ministry of Home Affairs submitted the following proposal regarding vehicle procurement for RAB, which received approval for direct procurement from Pragati Industries Limited, a state-owned automobile manufacturer.