Fiscal Year 2026-27
ADP Project Numbers Rise Despite Scrutiny
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
Despite strict scrutiny measures introduced by the current government in project evaluation and selection, the outcome has fallen short of expectations. The number of projects in the upcoming Annual Development Programme (ADP) has instead risen sharply.
Including ongoing projects from the previous government and newly added ones, the ADP for the next fiscal year will include 3,164 projects. In the current fiscal year, the number stood at 2,510. Rather than declining, the project load has increased by 654.
Officials said the rise reflects public demand and political commitments made by elected governments. As a result, the ADP has become increasingly burdened. The National Economic Council (NEC) has approved a total allocation of Tk 3 trillion.
Former Planning Secretary Mamun-Al-Rashid told Agamir Shomoy, “When the number of projects increases, management problems arise. More project directors are required, more manpower is needed for implementation and monitoring, and additional funding is also necessary. Overall, the risk of complexity increases. Although the government initially said projects would be selected after rigorous scrutiny, a political government often has to consider public demand and election manifesto commitments. The key issue is what standard is used in selection, public welfare or political consideration.”
According to Planning Commission sources, among the total projects in the upcoming ADP, 1,153 will have allocated funding. Of these, 976 are investment projects, 23 are feasibility studies, 109 are technical assistance projects, and 45 are self-financed initiatives.
In addition, 1,282 projects appear in the ‘green page’ of the ADP book without approved funding. Of these, 1,064 will be implemented under government financing, 179 with foreign loans, and 40 by autonomous bodies or corporations using their own funds.
There are also 80 public-private partnership (PPP) projects and 148 projects under the Climate Change Trust Fund. A total of 392 ongoing projects set to expire within the current month have also been included in the upcoming ADP.
Among these, 344 are investment projects, nine are feasibility studies, 18 are technical assistance projects, and 21 belong to autonomous institutions. Although these projects were targeted for completion within the current month, delays have led to their inclusion in the next fiscal year’s ADP. Additionally, 77 development projects remain listed without formal approval under foreign financing arrangements.
A review shows that major projects included in the upcoming ADP include power distribution system upgrades in the Chattogram zone, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the Matarbari 1,200 MW coal-based power project, the Program of Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition Project, and the Jamuna River sustainable management project-1.
Key foreign-funded projects include the Matarbari 2,400 MW ultra-supercritical coal power project (second phase), construction of the Second Jamuna Bridge, introduction of electric traction on the Narayanganj–Dhaka–Joydebpur railway section, construction of a rail cord line from Dhaka to Cumilla, the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Metro Rail Line-5) southern route, and Metro Rail Line-2.
Under PPP initiatives, major mega projects include the Matarbari land-based LNG terminal, construction of the Dhaka outer ring road, Kamalapur multimodal hub, Bay Terminal construction project, and the Dhaka East-West Elevated Expressway. The second Padma multipurpose bridge project, covering the Paturia-Goalanda route, is also included.
