Cabinet approves import of guns, cartridges for Ansar, VDP

The cabinet committee on public purchase on Wednesday approved a number of proposals, including one for procurement of 30,000 units of 12-bore shotguns and 3 million cartridges for Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP), reports UNB.

The approval was given at a meeting of the committee held with finance minister AMA Muhith in the chair.

According to a proposal placed by the home affairs ministry, Bangladesh Army-run Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory will supply the shotguns and cartridges at a cost of Tk 1.47 billion. 

All the arms and ammunition will be supplied through import from Italy, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Cabinet division's additional secretary Mustafizur Rahman said the shotguns will cost Tk 1.09 billion while 3 million cartridges Tk 380 million.

He said the import of the arms and ammunition is part of the regular procurement for Bangladesh Ansar and VDP.

The committee approved two other proposals of the industries ministry to import a total of 50,000 tonnes of urea.

Singapore-based firm RS Limited will supply the 25,000 tonnes of fertiliser at a cost of Tk 720 million while each tonne will cost $304.41.  Local firm M/S Hydrocarbon will supply other 25,000 tonnes in bulk importing from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at a cost of Tk 670 million.

The cabinet committee also gave a retrospective approval to another proposal of import of 25,000 tonnes of fertiliser which has already been imported.

A proposal of the power division to procure 204,990 units of electric poles for rural electrification received the nod of the cabinet body.  A number of local companies will supply the poles at a total cost of Tk 4.19 billion.