Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) achieved an important milestone in its effort to establish a Digital Bangladesh as envisioned in the present government’s Vision-2021 by adopting Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system through inking a deal signed by Mr. Gopal Krishna Debnath, Executive Engineer, LGED Gopalganj on behalf of LGED and Mr. Narayan Chandra Dam, lowest bidder participating in the e-Tender process on 31 January 2012 at LGED Headquarters in Dhaka.  The signing ceremony of the deal was witnessed by, among others, Mr. Md. Wahidur Rahman, Chief Engineer, LGED, Mr. Muhammad Azizul Haque, Additional Chief Engineer, LGED, Mr. P.K. Choudhury, Project Director, RRMIP, LGED and representatives from CPTU.  The said on-line tender processing system, it is said, has been introduced for development works of Shoagram UPC – Narayankhana Bazar Road under Kotalipara upazila of Gopalganj district.  It may also be mentioned here that e-GP system in LGED is being supported by Public Procurement Reform Project-II, funded by World Bank.

Earlier, a discussion meeting was held at the Conference Room of LGED Headquarters on the significance of adoption of e-GP system in LGED in the light of a presentation delivered by Mr. P.K. Choudhury Project Director, RRMIP, LGED. Chaired by Mr. Md. Wahidur Rahman, Chief Engineer, the discussion was participated by Mr. Nadjib Sespa, Regional Procurement Manager, South Asian Region, World Bank and representative of World Bank, LGED and Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU), IMED.  It had been articulately said by the participants at the forum that e-GP tendering is an excellent system of bidding on-line tenders which is time-bound and there would be no scope for manipulation or corruption.  The e-GP deal that had been signed would be the first of its kind Bangladesh.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Md. Wahidur Rahman, Chief Engineer, LGED said the package agreement signed between LGED and the contracting firm would ensure transparency, accountability and pace of tender processing.  He said, this is beginning and in about a year the e-GP system would be introduced in all the districts for which requisite training and orientation programmes would be taken up soon.