Govt to buy 300 vehicles for polls duty

The interim government will procure around 300 vehicles for use during the upcoming national election, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said yesterday.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase, he dismissed media reports about buying 60 vehicles for ministers of the next government as "untrue".

"The public administration ministry had submitted this proposal, but it has been rejected," he said.

Salehuddin explained that the new vehicles would mostly go to Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs), while some would be allocated to deputy commissioners (DCs).

"To ensure effective field-level operations, better vehicles are needed as many existing ones have become unusable," he added.

In August, the public administration ministry proposed purchasing 280 vehicles at a cost of Tk 445 crore.

The plan included 60 Mitsubishi Pajero SUVs, each worth Tk 1.69 crore, for advisers, ministers and officials of equivalent rank; 195 Pajero Jeeps for UNOs at the same price; and 25 microbuses for DC offices at Tk 52 lakh each.

The proposal argued the current fleet has exceeded its nine-year lifespan, causing frequent breakdowns and high maintenance costs.

The adviser further said that 30 to 40 vehicles, including BMWs imported during the previous government for MPs, remain stuck at Chattogram Customs.

Their assessed value is around Tk 6 crore, but bids in auction have reached only Tk 10 lakh.

"These vehicles have therefore been recommended for inclusion in the government transport pool," Salehuddin said.