Staff Correspondent:

The government has approved the purchase of two bulk carrier ships, each with a capacity of 55,000–66,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT), from US-based Hellenic Dry Bulk Ventures LLC at a cost of $76.698 million (approximately Tk 9.36 billion).

The decision was made on Tuesday at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP), chaired by Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, at the Secretariat in Dhaka.

According to official sources, the ships will be acquired under the project titled “Procurement of Two Bulk Carrier Ships of 55,000–66,000 DWT Each.”

Tenders were invited through a one-stage, two-envelope bidding process, with three companies submitting bids. Two were deemed technically responsive, and the US firm emerged as the lowest responsive bidder.

The ships will be purchased with the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation’s own funds.

In a separate meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, also chaired by Dr. Ahmed, the government approved the implementation of remaining works under the World Bank-funded “Bangladesh Regional Inland Water Transport Project-1,” which includes dredging of the Chattogram–Dhaka–Ashuganj and connected waterways, as well as the construction of terminals and related facilities.