The Directorate General Defense Purchase (DGDP), the country’s defense purchase organization, is going to be strengthened with the creation of 75 posts in 19 categories soon. These would include six posts of Lieutenant Colonel-level, six of Major-level, three of Captain-level and 12 posts of Senior Warrant Officer/Warrant Officer-level, government sources said.

At present, there are 117 posts, including one of director-general with the status of Major General, in the DGDP, the sources added. Already the Ministry of Defense has prepared a proposal to create 75 posts and it would be placed at the next meeting of the secretary committee on administrative improvement affairs.

In the proposal, the ministry said the 75 posts would be created as the purchase activities of the DGDP have increased.

“It is difficult to run the defense purchases organization with the existing manpower,” the proposal says.

“The DGDP is facing various difficulties in purchasing various equipment, arms and ammunition and devices for the three wings of the armed forces, the Army, Navy and the Air Force, and the Special Security Force (SSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) with the existing manpower, as the activities of the organization has expanded compared to the past,” according to the proposal.

According to the proposal, the Ministry of Defense had prepared a proposal to create 98 posts for the DGDP. It was sent to the public administration ministry seeking its approval and the ministry gave approval for 80 posts. “When the proposal was sent to the Finance Ministry for final approval, it cleared 75 posts for the military purchase organization,” the proposal added. The DGDP is purchasing various military hardware, arms and ammunition against the demands of the three services and other defense organizations.