The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has granted in-principle approval to four proposals, including the direct procurement of eight cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) under the Direct Procurement Method (DPM) to meet urgent domestic gas demands.

The proposals were approved on Wednesday (August 12) during the committee's 25th meeting, presided over by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khsru Mahmud Chowdhury. Detailed information regarding the approved proposals was shared following the session.

According to officials, three separate proposals put forward by the Energy and Mineral Resources Division received in-principle approval to import a total of eight LNG cargoes, aimed at addressing urgent domestic energy requirements amid unstable geopolitical conditions in the Middle East and globally.

Under these approvals, LNG will be directly procured from the following suppliers:

• Hong Kong Zhenhua Shipping: 2 cargoes
• Malaysia's Petronas: 2 cargoes
• China's China Runze Holdings: 2 cargoes
• USA's Darab Incorporated: 2 cargoes

Additionally, the committee approved a proposal under the Ministry of Shipping for the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to directly procure and execute "Dredging and Related Works of the Jinai, Sutia, and Kachamatia Rivers" under the ongoing project titled "Restoration of River Flow, Development of Waterways, and Flood Management."

Furthermore, the committee gave in-principle approval to a proposal under the Ministry of Social Welfare for the Department of Social Services to procure Android tablets through direct procurement to implement the "Family Card" initiative under the "SSPRIT" project.

Of the four total proposals approved during the meeting, three relate to LNG imports, while the remaining proposals cover river dredging and tablet procurement for the Family Card rollout.