Bangladesh approves nearly 19 bln USD annual development expenditure

DHAKA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The highest economic policy-making body of the Bangladeshi government has approved a 2.3 trillion taka (nearly 19 billion U.S. dollars) Annual Development Program (ADP) for the next fiscal year 2025-26 (July 2025-June 2026).

The amount is 6.58 percent higher than that of the revised ADP of the current fiscal year 2024-25 (June 2024-July 2025).

The new ADP was approved at a National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by the Bangladeshi interim government's Chief Advisor and NEC Chairperson Muhammad Yunus on Sunday.

After the meeting, Bangladeshi Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud told journalists that out of the ADP outlay of 2.3 trillion taka for the next fiscal year, 1.44 trillion taka will come from local sources while the rest of 860 billion taka as foreign project assistance.

The ADP for the next fiscal year attaches the highest importance to the transport, communication and power and energy sectors alongside putting priority on ensuring optimum utilization of public funds through checking misuse.

A total of 1,143 projects are included in the next fiscal year ADP for execution. (1 U.S. dollar equals about 122 taka) Enditem