Bangladesh’s Annual Development Programme to Exceed Tk 3 Trillion for the First Time

Bangladesh’s Annual Development Programme (ADP) is set to cross the Tk 3 trillion mark for the first time in the country’s history in the upcoming fiscal year, despite concerns over weak revenue collection and slow project implementation.

According to the draft proposal discussed at an extended meeting of the Planning Ministry on Saturday, the size of the next fiscal year’s ADP has been set at Tk 308,925 crore, marking an increase of nearly Tk 100,000 crore from the current ADP allocation.

The meeting was chaired by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury at the Planning Ministry. Officials said the draft ADP will be finalized at another extended meeting scheduled for May 16.

The proposed ADP is expected to be approved later this month at a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) before being incorporated into the national budget. The new programme includes 1,121 development projects.

Despite the ambitious spending plan, the government faces mounting fiscal pressure. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) recorded a revenue shortfall of nearly Tk 100,000 crore during the first nine months of the current fiscal year. Concerns also remain over the government’s limited capacity to implement development projects efficiently.

Planning Ministry sources said the core ADP allocation for the next fiscal year stands at Tk 300,000 crore, while an additional Tk 8,925 crore has been allocated for development projects undertaken by autonomous institutions.

Of the total proposed allocation, Tk 190,000 crore will come from domestic sources, while the remaining Tk 110,000 crore is expected as foreign project assistance.

The draft proposal also shows significant increases in allocations for social sectors. Compared to the current ADP, education spending will rise by Tk 19,000 crore, while health sector allocation will increase by Tk 17,000 crore.

The current fiscal year’s ADP size is Tk 208,936 crore. However, only around 36 percent of the programme was implemented during the first nine months (July–March) of the fiscal year — the lowest implementation rate in the past five years.

Top Five Sectors by Allocation

Under the proposed draft ADP, the transport and communication sector received the highest allocation, amounting to Tk 50,092 crore.

The top five sectors by allocation are:

1. Transport and Communication — Tk 50,092 crore
2. Education — Tk 47,591 crore
3. Health — Tk 35,535 crore
4. Power and Energy — Tk 32,691 crore
5. Housing — Tk 20,361 crore