TDS Desk:

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has categorically denied reports that 60 luxury vehicles are being procured for ministers of the upcoming government, stating that no such purchase has been approved or will take place.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on Public Purchase on Tuesday, Salehuddin dismissed recent media reports as baseless and misleading. “I don’t know where you saw this — that I was quoted or that I approved it. There is no question of buying any cars for ministers. We did not do this,” he said.

He revealed that a proposal from the Ministry of Public Administration to purchase vehicles for cabinet members had been submitted but was immediately halted. “They gave a proposal to buy new cars for ministers. I have stopped it — it will not go forward,” he said.

Salehuddin expressed frustration over what he described as misrepresentation and political misuse of administrative decisions. “What the Ministry of Public Administration proposed was to replace old, damaged, and non-functional vehicles,” he remarked.

However, the Finance Adviser confirmed that a separate proposal to purchase approximately 300 vehicles for field-level administration officials has been approved in preparation for upcoming elections. He stressed that the move is essential to ensure smooth election operations, as many government vehicles currently in use are in poor condition.

“We’ve accepted the proposal to buy around 300 cars — but these are for field officials, not ministers,” he clarified. “We cannot allow a situation where an election officer breaks down after driving two miles in a damaged vehicle. Functional transport is critical for election preparedness.”

Recent media reports had claimed that the Ministry of Finance had approved the purchase of 60 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport QX SUVs, each costing Tk 1.69 crore, amounting to a total expenditure of Tk 101.61 crore for ministerial transport.