The pace of implementation of Bangladesh’s Annual Development Programme (ADP) has remained sluggish, with less than 12% of the allocation spent in the first five months of the current fiscal year, according to official data.

Between July and November of FY 2025–26, only 11.75% of the total ADP allocation was utilised, raising concerns about delays in development projects.

The implementation rate is lower than that recorded during the same period of the previous fiscal year, despite FY 2024–25 being marked by political turbulence.

During the first five months of the last fiscal year, 12.29% of the ADP allocation had been spent, both in terms of percentage and absolute expenditure exceeding the current year’s performance.

The figures indicate that neither spending momentum nor implementation efficiency has recovered to date in the current fiscal year.

The ADP is the government’s main planning instrument for public investment, covering infrastructure, social services and economic development projects.

Slow early implementation has been a recurring issue in Bangladesh’s development budgeting, often leading to a rush of spending in the final months of the fiscal year.

Economists have previously warned that delays in ADP execution can undermine project quality and reduce the overall impact of public investment on economic growth.