DHAKA, May 17, 2026 (BSS) – The National Economic Council (NEC) is likely to consider a proposed Annual Development Programme (ADP) worth Taka 3,00,000 crore for the 2026-27 fiscal year at its meeting tomorrow, aiming to sustain inclusive economic growth, strengthen infrastructures, enhance social protection and accelerate climate-resilient development.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to preside over the meeting.

According to the officials at the Bangladesh Planning Commission, the proposed ADP size includes Taka 1,90,000 crore from government funds (63.33 percent) and Taka 1,10,000 crore (36.67 percent) from project loans and grants.

The size of the proposed ADP would increase by 50 per cent compared to the revised ADP of the current fiscal year, with a 48.44-per cent rise in domestic resource allocation and a 52.77-per cent increase in external financing.

The proposed ADP prioritises poverty reduction, employment generation, women’s empowerment, regional balanced development, tourism, blue economy, green growth and improvement of people’s living standards through sector-based development interventions.

Talking to BSS, Planning Commission officials said the overall outlay under the proposed ADP would stand at Tk 3,08,924.83 crore if self-financed projects of autonomous bodies and corporations are included. Of the amount, Tk 1,98,923.93 crore would come from government and own financing sources, while Tk 1,10,000.90 crore would come from foreign loans and grants.

The proposed programme includes 971 investment and survey projects with an allocation of Tk 1,78,914.63 crore and 107 technical assistance projects involving Tk 2,796.28 crore.

In addition, Tk 38,027.49 crore has been proposed under the “special development assistance” block allocation to support newly approved and ongoing projects during the fiscal year. Another Tk 17,000 crore has been earmarked for social development assistance.

Talking to BSS, Director General of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr AK Enamul Haque said such size of ADP is natural for a developing country like Bangladesh. “The issue is not whether the ADP is large or small, but whether the right projects are selected and implemented properly and on time,”

He said some projects may indeed need to be reviewed or revised. “But, the issue is not development projects themselves … the real issue is corruption and wasteful spending,” he added.

Dr Enamul said a project that should cost one taka often costs four or even ten taka. “That is the fundamental problem. Project selection should therefore emphasize social benefits, proper feasibility studies, and professional implementation,” he said.

The working paper of the proposed ADP showed that the transport and communication sector is set to receive the highest allocation of Tk 50,092.53 crore, accounting for 16.70 percent of the total proposed ADP.

The education sector is likely to receive Tk 47,591.12 crore or 15.86 percent, while the health sector is likely to get Tk 35,535.50 crore, representing 11.84 percent of the total outlay.

The power and energy sector is proposed to receive Tk 32,691.54 crore or 10.90 percent, while the housing and community facilities sector would get Tk 20,361.72 crore, accounting for 6.79 percent of the total allocation.

Together, these five sectors would account for more than 62 percent of the total proposed sectoral allocation.

Among ministries and divisions, the Local Government Division is likely to receive the highest allocation of Tk 33,735.10 crore or 11.25 percent of the proposed ADP.

The Roads and Highways Division would get Tk 30,741.36 crore or 10.25 percent, while the Health Services Division is expected to receive Tk 26,806.26 crore.

The Secondary and Higher Education Division is proposed to get Tk 20,835.44 crore or 6.95 percent, while the Primary and Mass Education Ministry may receive Tk 19,440.59 crore or 6.48 percent.

The Power Division is likely to receive Tk 14,938.66 crore or 4.98 percent of the total proposed allocation.

Besides, the Science and Technology Ministry is proposed to get Tk 17,403.74 crore, the Health Education and Family Welfare Division Tk 8,220.85 crore, the Shipping Ministry Tk 8,206.53 crore and the Water Resources Ministry a significant allocation under the proposed ADP framework.

The Planning Commission has also recommended prioritising projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), National Adaptation Plan (NAP), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), Green Climate Resilient Development (GCRD) strategy and the Delta Appraisal Framework (DAF).

Priority has also been suggested for projects with confirmed foreign financing, PPP initiatives, climate-resilient infrastructure and regionally balanced development.

According to the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), the ADP implementation rate during July 2025 to March 2026 stood at 36.19 percent, with total expenditure amounting to Tk 75,607 crore against the revised allocation of Tk 2,08,936 crore for the current fiscal year.

The new ADP will include a total of 1,121 development projects, significantly lower than the 1,333 projects under the current Revised ADP (RADP).

A total of 26 projects identified for completion in the current fiscal year will be carried over to the next fiscal year.