Bangladesh’s ambitious Covid-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness project has seen limited success in infrastructure delivery, with critical ICU facilities largely unimplemented despite a five-year timeline and Tk 63.87 billion in funding.

An unpublished monitoring report by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) reveals that only 13 out of 50 planned district hospitals have operational intensive care units (ICUs). No paediatric ICUs or obstetric ICUs have been established, and 1,000 planned isolation beds across district hospitals remain unrealised.

Approved in April 2020, the project was aimed at strengthening the health system’s capacity during and beyond the pandemic. The World Bank and AIIB provided Tk 59.14 billion, covering over 92% of costs.

Though the project achieved 76% physical progress and spent Tk 47.19 billion as of December 2024, capital expenditure remains weak—only 41% of the capital budget has been utilised, largely due to delays in infrastructure development.

Procurement-heavy spending dominates the revenue component, but IMED warns that key objectives—particularly ICU installation—have been poorly executed.

With the revised project deadline ending this month, officials fear a sizable portion of funds may remain unused, undermining long-term public health preparedness.

“Poor ICU implementation is one of the project’s most disappointing failures,” the IMED report states, raising doubts about Bangladesh’s readiness for future health emergencies.