The government of Bangladesh has incorporated 1,270 new projects into the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year, State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki said on Saturday.
Speaking at a seminar titled “Budget 2026-27 in Times of Crisis” at CIRDAP in Dhaka, Saki said the new projects were selected from around 1,600 proposals submitted for consideration.
He noted that of the 1,333 ongoing ADP projects, 1,150 will continue into the next fiscal year, while the remaining ones are expected to be completed by June. The inclusion of new projects reflects what he described as a more coordinated approach to development planning.
“Previously, projects were often taken in isolation. Power plants were built without transmission lines, and hospitals without equipment. This time, we are ensuring coordination so that people can actually benefit from development,” he said.
Zonayed Saki added that transparency in public investment is essential for encouraging private sector growth, arguing that accountability in budgeting and taxation is necessary to create a favourable investment climate.
He also criticised earlier five-year plans, saying they lacked practical implementation roadmaps. The government, he said, plans to design future development plans with execution challenges built in from the beginning, aiming to achieve visible results within four and a half years.
Highlighting inefficiencies in public spending, the state minister warned that losses from poor implementation often exceed losses from corruption, and said efforts are underway to reduce wastage in project execution.
On the banking sector, he alleged that vested groups in previous administrations contributed to systemic weaknesses, which have affected depositor confidence and created barriers for genuine entrepreneurs.
Zonayed Saki also raised concerns over a past decision to outsource tax automation to a country he described as a direct commercial competitor, calling it a potential risk to national sovereignty due to access to sensitive data.
On energy policy, he said the government is prioritising self-reliance and aims to generate 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy. He added that recent reforms in electricity and fuel pricing are being implemented with greater transparency than before.
Despite possible criticism, he said the government is committed to openness in explaining policy decisions to the public.
