The government has approved the purchase of 200 double-cabin pickup vehicles for the police to replace those destroyed or rendered inoperable during the mass uprising between July and August 2024.
The vehicles, priced at Tk 8.6 million each, will be procured from state-owned Pragoti Industries under a direct purchase method, with the total cost amounting to Tk 1.72 billion.
This decision was finalized during a recent meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase. The vehicles are intended to restore and strengthen the operational capacity of the police force, which suffered extensive losses during the unrest.
An estimated 1,059 police vehicles were damaged across the country—526 were burned, and 533 were vandalized—resulting in a financial loss of around Tk 3.6 billion.
The proposal, initially endorsed in principle by the Economic Affairs Committee in late April, follows detailed submissions from the Public Security Division highlighting the scale of destruction.
The police headquarters had earlier requested a total budget of Tk 3.6 billion to replace damaged vehicles, which included 38 jeeps, 250 double-cabin pickups, 56 single-cabin pickups, ambulances, prison vans, motorcycles, and other specialized units such as water cannons and armored personnel carriers.
Although the original vehicle count was later revised downward, the approved batch of 200 pickups marks the first phase of this replacement initiative.
The funds will be allocated from the 2024–25 fiscal budget. Discussions are also underway regarding the construction of new police housing complexes near Dhaka.
Authorities emphasize that this procurement is crucial to restoring full operational readiness and maintaining law and order.
