Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) has signed an agreement with ICT services company Huawei for supplying equipment for its 5G Readiness Project after struggling with various complications.
The companies signed the agreement on November 19, but the BTCL made it public on Thursday by posting online the agreement documents.
The 5G-readiness initiative, aimed at launching 5G in the country, incurred a total cost of Tk 10.59 billion as it received approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in February 2022.
The procurement process commenced with the invitation of tenders on August 14, 2022, followed by a pre-bidding meeting in the following month (September).
Of the total cost, the project proposed an estimated equipment purchase cost of Tk 4.63 billion.
Subsequently, adhering to the government procurement policy, a three-member tender opening committee unveiled the international tender on December 20, 2022.
Huawei clinched the project as the lowest bidder at Tk 3.26 billion, triumphing over various challenges, according to a statement issued by the company.
Remarkably, the company is committed to completing the project at a cost reduction of Tk 1.37 billion compared to the government's approved expenditure.
Moinul Hasan, Account Responsible at Huawei Bangladesh said Huawei is committed to work with the government to build a smart Bangladesh.
"We will provide advanced technologies used globally in the 5G Readiness Project to implement the government's vision of 2041," he said.
After receiving financial valuation approval, the 216th meeting of the BTCL's board of directors on November 13 recommended the approval of Huawei's purchase proposal.
BTCL signed the agreement with Huawei in presence of Monjir Ahmed, Project Director, BTCL; Chen-Shi, Business Director, Huawei International; Hu-Yoyi, Chief Operating Officer, Huawei Technologies Bangladesh.
BTCL Acting Managing Director Anwar Hossain, Deputy Managing Directors Sanjib Kumar Ghatak, Ansar Ali and Ziadul Anam, Huawei International Solutions Manager Xiao Longgang, Huawei Technologies Bangladesh Account Director Go Uyo, Account Responsible Moinul Hasan and other high officials were present.
Three companies - Huawei Technologies Limited, ZTE Corporation, and Nokia Solutions - participated in the tender.
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