Bangladesh border authority considers Securiport biometric modernization proposal

This is not an open tender. The source is a BiometricUpdate.com news article (October 2026). It reports that Bangladesh's Ministry of Home Affairs is considering an unsolicited proposal from the US company Securiport to modernise the country's immigration and border management. The plan is an integrated border-management network covering all international entry and exit points. Passenger information would reach immigration authorities before departure, so travellers can be screened automatically against Interpol databases and national watchlists. No other bidders have been invited, and no lots are mentioned.

Securiport's proposed framework combines: Advance Passenger Information Systems (APIS) and Passenger Name Records (PNR); e-visa and e-travel authorisation services; biometric identity verification; national watchlist and Interpol integration; advanced analytics.

According to officials, the initial proposal offers domestic data hosting, full government data ownership, long-term operational support and technology transfer. The model resembles Securiport's Civil Aviation and Immigration Security Services (CAISS) project in the Philippines, which is still under review there.

The ministry has invited only Securiport to submit a full technical and financial proposal by 22 October (2026, inferred from the article date). The Ministry of Home Affairs would need Cabinet approval to award the project through direct procurement.

The process so far: 9 September: the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved evaluation of the proposal. After that approval: a steering committee chaired by Senior Secretary Manzur Morshed Chowdhury was formed. 30 September: the steering committee held its first meeting. Evaluation bodies: the steering committee set up three groups: a due-diligence and technical evaluation group, a fee-rate committee and a negotiation team. The negotiation team will define service levels, KPIs, cybersecurity requirements, data-sovereignty provisions, licensing continuity and exit mechanisms.

The Finance Secretary has asked for detailed scrutiny of costs and of compliance with procurement rules.

No contract value, duration or procedure documents have been published. Official records show an unapproved Tk1,800-crore (about US$146.31 million) project, "Implementation of e-Visa, Bangladesh", in the 2026–2031 Annual Development Programme. It is unclear whether this allocation is linked to the Securiport proposal. No submission portal, bid language, award criteria or formal requirements are stated, and no final decision has been made.

The requirements listed below are the conditions the ministry's letter to Securiport reportedly set for any agreement. They are not tender eligibility criteria.