A tender floated by the Directorate General Defence Purchase (DGDP) for IT equipment procurement for the Bangladesh Navy has sparked controversy due to its explicit preference for Israeli technology—despite the country's long-standing trade restrictions with Israel.

On December 12, 2024, the DGDP issued a tender titled “Establishing of Data Centers and Backbone Networking” to procure IT equipment for the Navy’s core bases in Dhaka and Chittagong, as well as for naval ships.

The Request for Proposal (RFP) notably specified Check Point—an Israeli cybersecurity brand—as a preferred choice, alongside Cisco. This direct mention of an Israeli company has raised legal and ethical concerns.

Check Point, headquartered in Ramat Gan, Israel, is owned by Israeli entrepreneur Gil Shwed, according to its official website.

The project consultancy was awarded to ‘Prime Net’, an IT company with no prior experience in complex network design. Sources say that the then-Director (IT, Navy) played a key role in securing this procurement project, which has an estimated cost of Tk 200 crore.

Several bidders formally and informally objected to the tender’s brand-specific criteria, arguing that it undermined the competitive bidding process. Despite these objections, there has been no official response from the authorities. The deadline for tender submission expired on February 20, 2025, with five local bidders participating—three of whom reportedly submitted proposals incorporating Israeli technology.

This development has reignited concerns over past allegations that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina covertly facilitated the procurement of Israeli spyware Pegasus and other surveillance tools. Although Bangladeshi regulations prohibit trade with Israel, government funds were allegedly used to acquire these technologies to suppress opposition voices and dissidents.

Hasina’s administration has faced repeated accusations of violating international human rights laws, and the use of such surveillance tools is believed to have contributed to her downfall. In this context, questions are mounting over the Bangladesh Navy’s latest procurement move and whether similar technologies are being discreetly acquired under defense contracts.

As scrutiny intensifies, transparency in defense procurement remains a pressing issue, raising concerns over national security, legal violations, and accountability within the military establishment.