Biman Bangladesh Airlines has set an eight-day deadline for submitting bids to provide consultancy services for an extensive fleet expansion initiative, prompting concerns about the adequacy of the timeline for attracting high-quality proposals. The national carrier plans to incorporate 35 new aircraft into its existing fleet and has called for expert advice on aircraft integration, route profitability optimization, fleet retirement, and financing arrangements.
The airline issued a request for proposals (RFP) on October 25, with bids due by November 2 and contract awarding scheduled for November 8. Biman has recently signed agreements to purchase 25 aircraft from Boeing and 10 from Airbus. The airline cited a need to adhere to “high-level government scheduling” for the compressed bidding process but declined to elaborate on the specifics behind the timetable.
In a written statement, Biman referenced a July 17, 2025 advisory from the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority, emphasizing that purchases funded internally follow its own administrative and financial regulations. The airline maintained that the procurement process complies with established guidelines and procedures.
However, industry experts have questioned whether the timeline is sufficient to develop detailed bids covering the broad and complex scope of work. Md Faruque Hossain, a former secretary and director general of the Central Procurement Technical Unit, described the eight-day window as “completely unrealistic,” noting that even international procurement efforts typically allow more time.
The consultancy assignment involves several critical tasks: assessing delivery schedules and contractual obligations for the incoming aircraft, evaluating financing options such as export credit financing and potential sale-and-leaseback arrangements, and determining the retirement schedule for 19 existing planes. In addition, consultants will analyze capacity gaps, passenger demand, route revenues, and operating costs.
Bidders must demonstrate recent experience working with national or regional flag carriers, especially in matters of export credit and financial structuring. The RFP requires detailed resumes of key project personnel and mandates senior partner involvement. Firms are also expected to describe proposed route planning tools, network simulation techniques, and fleet cost modeling software.
Financial proposals must be submitted in U.S. dollars, including a fixed fee covering fees, travel, data licensing, and administrative expenses. Costs must be itemized by work area, with personnel allocation, estimated workdays, daily rates, and totals clearly detailed.
Biman will evaluate submissions through a 70:30 technical-to-financial scoring ratio. To qualify, firms must achieve a minimum technical score of 75 out of 100, with 60 percent of technical marks allocated for expertise and specialization and the remaining 40 percent reflecting delivery speed and resource commitment.
The contract timeline sets November 8 as the start date for the consultancy, December 10 for a draft executive report accompanied by an in-person presentation, and January 15, 2027, for the final comprehensive report.
Kazi Wahidul Alam, an aviation industry analyst and former Biman board member, expressed skepticism about the company's ability to attract capable international consultants within the short submission period. He pointed out that prospective bidders would need specialists in aviation, fleet planning, finance, and route economics to formulate an in-depth proposal, a challenge given the time constraints.
Alam cautioned that an inadequately developed fleet strategy might lead to underutilized aircraft, nonviable routes, elevated operational costs, and unsustainable financing obligations. “Eight days may be sufficient to receive proposals. Whether it is sufficient to attract the best advisers for a programme of this magnitude is a question Biman must convincingly answer,” he said.