DHAKA, Aug 16, 2026 (BSS) – The government has a roadmap for developing e-GP Version 2.0 to build a modern, citizen-centric and technology-driven public procurement system in the country. “What began as a reform initiative in 2001 has evolved into one of the country's digital governance advancement,” said Chief Executive Officer (Secretary) of Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) Abu Sayed Md. Kamruzzaman here. In this connection, he said public procurement system in Bangladesh has undergone various reforms and the process is still going on. In an exclusive interview with BSS, the BPPA CEO highlighted the rationale for further legal reforms, his vision of achieving sustainable development through sustainable procurement, strengthening BPPA's institutional capacity, the achievements of the electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system, the challenges ahead, and the roadmap for developing e-GP Version 2.0 to build a modern, citizen-centric and technology-driven public procurement system. He said the reform journey began with the Public Procurement Regulations, 2003, followed by the enactment of the Public Procurement Act, 2006 and the Public Procurement Rules, 2008. It has since culminated in the Public Procurement Rules (PPR), 2025, alongside amendments to the Public Procurement Act 2006. The establishment of the BPPA in 2023 transformed the former Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) into an autonomous regulatory authority with expanded responsibilities, he said. Kamruzzaman said the government has now constituted a high-level committee to review and further amend the Public Procurement Act and the PPR with a view to promoting fair competition, encouraging new entrepreneurship, and further modernizing the country's procurement regime. “Implementing these reforms has become one of BPPA's foremost priorities”. He said Bangladesh’s public procurement has expanded significantly over the years as the annual value of public procurement increased from about US$3 billion in 2003 to around US$10 billion in 2010 and now stands at nearly US$30 billion. “As the national budget and the Annual Development Programme (ADP) continue to grow, procurement volumes will inevitably increase further. Managing this scale demands stronger institutions, advanced technological capabilities, and a highly skilled workforce,” Kamruzzaman said. Recognizing these emerging challenges, he said the BPPA recently organized three stakeholder consultation workshops in line with government directives. The consultations focused on three priority areas: Enhancing the electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system; Ensuring full implementation of mandatory e-GP; and Strengthening BPPA’s institutional capacity. He said these workshops generated valuable recommendations from government agencies, development partners, and private sector, academia and procurement professionals. “These recommendations provide a clear roadmap for the next phase of reforms. The time has come to strengthen BPPA so that it can effectively lead Bangladesh's public procurement system into the future,” he said. On sustainable procurement, he said, “Absolutely, Public procurement must evolve beyond its traditional focus on economy, efficiency, transparency and accountability. It should become a strategic instrument for generating long-term environmental, social and economic value.” Kamruzzaman said the government must strengthen Bangladesh's procurement system by embedding sustainability principles, promoting green and climate-resilient procurement, encouraging innovation, supporting local industries, expanding digital procurement and ensuring value for money throughout the procurement lifecycle. “BPPA will continue advancing procurement reforms aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), making public procurement a powerful driver of inclusive growth, environmental stewardship and improved public service delivery,” he said. Shedding lights on public procurement reforms and digitization, the BPPA CEO said Bangladesh has made much progress to this end. He said at the fourth meeting of the BPPA Governing Board held on  July 9, 2026, the Minister for Finance and Planning, who chairs the Board, expressed satisfaction with BPPA's institutional development and commended the reduction in procurement lead time from around 100 days in 2010 to just 54 days today. Before the introduction of e-GP: Only 12 percent of contracts were signed within the original bid validity period. Today, the figure has reached 99 percent; Publication of contract award notices has increased from 15 percent to 100 percent; Publication of tender notices has improved from 20 percent to 100 percent. He said these improvements have significantly enhanced transparency, efficiency, accountability and competition in public procurement.