Govt Approves Direct Purchase for July Uprising Museum
The government has decided to transform the Prime Minister’s official residence, Ganabhaban, into the "July Uprising Memorial Museum" to commemorate the student and public uprising of July–August 2024. The museum will also highlight the memories of the martyrs and various incidents of repression during the past 16 years of the previous regime. The Finance Affairs Committee of the Advisory Council has approved the construction and renovation of the museum’s civil and electro-mechanical (E/M) components under the Direct Procurement Method (DPM). The project, estimated to cost Tk 111.19 crore, is expected to be completed by August 5. The approval was granted at a meeting of the committee held on Tuesday (July 15) at the Secretariat, presided over by Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed.
The E/M section refers to electro-mechanical elements, including electrical wiring, switches, and various electrical and mechanical fixtures. The civil section includes all structural components excluding the E/M works. Together, these two sections will cover the entire museum infrastructure. According to meeting sources, the decision to convert Ganabhaban into the "July Uprising Memorial Museum" was initially approved at an Advisory Council meeting held on December 24 last year. As the E/M construction and renovation works cannot be completed within the stipulated timeframe through regular procurement procedures, the Public Works Department (PWD) under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works has opted for direct procurement. Messrs Shubhra Traders has been assigned to carry out the E/M work at an estimated cost of Tk 40.82 crore.
The Ministry submitted the proposal to the Finance Affairs Committee, which approved the direct procurement. Additionally, another proposal from the Ministry regarding civil works was also approved under the same procurement method. The firm The Civil Engineers Ltd. has been selected to undertake the civil construction and renovation works, with an estimated cost of Tk 70.36 crore.
