Challenges of Tenders in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is developing in the infrastructural sector very quickly to support

increment of GDP. These development programs are part of procurement and
tender is a very important segment of procurement system. Simply by tender we
mean completing of procurement process in a competitive manner through active
participation of the interested parties by bidding prices. Tenders may be called both
for works and goods procurement that ensures quality works/products at a
competitive price and at the same time free from price manipulation. But sadly this
doesnot happen all the time. Tendering processes often subjected to questions due
to malpractice. There are different challenges to hold a fair and believable tendering
process. And the challenges are different for online and offline tenders.

Offline Tenders:

This is the older type of tendering process which is solely paper based and done by
human touches. Offline tender is the most vulnerable tendering process due to
higher probability of manipulation. It is very hard to hold fair tender in this process.
The main challenges for holding fair offline tender are as follows:

All the processes are done by hands. So there is probability of intentional &
unintentional errors all the time.
Secrecy can not be ensured in this process
Time consuming
Labor intensive and at the same time inefficient
Manipulation & syndication is obvious

Online Tenders:

Now a days online tendering has become a known entity specially in the govt
procurement process. The largest procuring department of the country is now
conducting procurement online through e-GP system developed and regulated by
CPTU. The electronic procurement system has abolished the drawbacks of the older
offline tendering system and established a clean, fear-free and fair tendering
process. The e-GP system also ensured greater participation of the tenderers and
decrease the limitation regarding time, location and payment upto a great extent.
However there are still some problems with e-GP system:

Bangladesh still lacks computer literate people to a great extent, creating

inconvenience for both the procurement entities and tenderers.
Internet access and speed are still very low for convenient online tendering
process

The system couldnot become fully online as complaint management system

is not practiced online.
Tenderers mostly are computer illiterate and highly dependent on agents for
completing e-tendering process, so secrecy can not be ensured totally.
The e-tendering process is too rigorous and simplification is required to create
an user friendly environment.

Bangladesh is advancing forward towards an efficient and fair tendering process at

a greater speed now a days. If the challenges that creating barrier can be abolished
and the system can be rectified accordingly, then it will not be tough to conduct
stainless procurement process in future.