The Annual Development Programme (ADP) implementation rate in February, while remaining at a low level, has almost doubled compared to the last fiscal when the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus was in power.
According to the latest progress report released by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) under the Ministry of Planning, in February Tk 12771.23 crore has been disbursed which is 6.11 percent of the total amount while it was only Tk 7676.33 crore in the last year that represented 3.39 percent only.
It also stated that the pace of spending and execution has slightly improved for the first eight months of the running 2025-26 fiscal than the previous year.
The implementation progress during the July–February period showed spending reached Tk 63,327.53, representing 30.31 percent of the annual allocation. During the same period of FY2024–25, implementation stood at Tk 67,553.21 crore or 29.87 percent.
In FY2023–24, the implementation rate for the July–February period was 33.65 percent with expenditure amounting to Tk 85,602.59 crore. The rate was 34.74 percent in FY2022–23 with spending of Tk 823,169.96 crore, while FY2021–22 recorded 38.60 percent implementation, with Tk 84,765.07 crore spent.
However, for the current fiscal year 2025–26, the total ADP allocation stands at Tk 208935.53 crore. In comparison, allocations in recent years were Tk 226166.88 crore in 2024–25, Tk 254391.64 crore in 2023–24, Tk 236560.67 crore in 2022–23 and Tk 219601.91 crore in 2021–22.
Officials said the current year’s rate of implementation indicates a continued slowdown in project execution.
The persistent slowdown has been attributed to multiple factors, including administrative adjustments, cautious expenditure management and slower approval processes during the interim administration period.
Project officials have also pointed to delays in procurement, land acquisition and fund release as key reasons behind the lower execution rate.
As per the economists, the ADP plays a critical role in driving economic activity, employment and infrastructure development.
A sustained slowdown in implementation may affect overall growth momentum, especially in sectors reliant on public investment.
Despite the lower execution rate, planning ministry officials expressed hope that spending would accelerate in the remaining months of the fiscal year as ministries and agencies traditionally speed up project implementation towards the end of the budget cycle.
The ADP is the government’s primary development budget, financing major infrastructure, social sector and regional development projects.
A higher implementation rate is generally seen as a sign of strong administrative capacity and efficient project management, while slower spending often signals bottlenecks in execution.
With less than half the fiscal year remaining, the pace of implementation in the coming months will be crucial in determining whether the government can narrow the gap with previous years or whether FY2025–26 will end with the lowest execution rate in recent times.