Staff Reporter :
The Annual Development Programme (ADP) posted a marginal improvement in implementation during the first four months of the current fiscal year (FY2025–26), even as total spending declined year-on-year.
Fresh data released today (20 November) by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) show that ministries and divisions spent Tk19,987 crore between July and October—Tk2,100 crore less than the Tk21,978 crore spent in the same period last fiscal year.
For comparison, ADP expenditure in the July–October window of FY2023–24 was substantially higher at Tk31,692 crore.
The government has set an ADP allocation target of Tk2,38,695.64 crore for FY2025–26.
Despite the drop in total expenditure, implementation improved slightly to 8.33percent, up from 7.90percent during the corresponding months of the previous year.
Economists note that ADP progress remains sluggish due to delays in project approval, prolonged tendering, a shortage of contractors, and persistent bureaucratic hurdles.
IMED officials said development activities were severely disrupted last fiscal year amid the student-led uprising and the subsequent fall of the government, which stalled most projects during July–August.
Although the situation stabilised this year, they said the expected pace in development spending has yet to pick up.
They added that ministries and divisions have been directed to initiate planning and expenditure from the very start of the fiscal year, but many projects remain stuck as several contractors who backed out during last year’s political unrest have not returned, slowing progress across critical sectors.
