Professor Mustafizur Rahman is currently the Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said Bangladesh should ensure quality spending and increase capacity building in implementation of  development projects in the greater interest of sustainable and equitable development of the country, a press release said.

Mustafizur Rahman was speaking at a seminar titled “Implications of the National Budget 2026-27 for the bilateral trade and the Private sector” organized by the Australia-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ABCCI) at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel on Sunday evening …

He said that the new BNP government has fixed  ADP size at Taka 3,00,000 crore, including Taka 1,90,000 crore from government financing and Taka 1,10,000 crore from project loans and grants for the 2026-27 budget proposals.

Quoting the data published in various newspapers, he said that only Tk1,00,763 crore was spent during the July-May period of FY 2025-26, representing 48.23% of the revised ADP allocation.

The government can spend rest of the money in one month before this fiscal year ends on June 30, 2026, but the quality spending remains a major challenge, Professor Mustafizur Rahman said

Despite 11 months having passed in the current fiscal year, ministries and divisions have failed to spend even half of the allocation under the Annual Development Programme (ADP), shows the latest data from the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED).

The government had allocated Tk2,08,935.53 crore under the revised ADP for FY26, including funding from development partners and implementing agencies.

Also, the expenditure during the first 11 months of the fiscal year was Tk10,242 crore lower than the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. In FY25, ADP implementation reached Tk1,11,005.73 crore (49%) during the July-May period.

Mustafizur Rahman said that Bangladesh should improve its education system and ensure quality education to survive in the post—LDC period.

M. Maksud, President of the Australia Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ABCCI) gave the welcome address at the seminar. Snehasish Barua FCA presented a keynote paper on tax policy in the seminar while Mahbub Uddin Ahmed spoke as the resource person .

Top leading businessmen of the country, diplomats, and Minhaz Chowdhury, Senior Director-Trade & Investment, Mostafizur Rahman, Senior Director- Trade and Investment Geater South Asia of the Australian High Commission in Bangladesh also attended the seminar.

Deepok Kumar Baral,Chairman & Managing Director and DSM Commodities Ltd. Dhaka, in his speech said “In this month, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission of the Australian Government, together with Wool Producers Australia and ACSA, jointly organized the “Australian Natural Fiber Seminar (Cotton and Wool).” The seminar created valuable opportunities for industry leaders from Australia and Bangladesh to connect, exchange insights, and strengthen commercial partnerships across the textile and apparel supply chain.

Deepok Kumar Baral, Vice President of ABCCI, also said “ We hope that the National Budget 2026-2027 will introduce policies that further facilitate bilateral trade, encourage private sector growth, and strengthen economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Australia.

“Together, through stronger partnerships and forward-looking policies, we can unlock new opportunities and take Bangladesh-Australia trade relations to even greater heights,” he said

Deepok Kumar Baral,Chairman & Managing Director and DSM Commodities Ltd. Dhaka,  said “We source and supply various growths of raw cotton from major producing regions, including Australia, the United States, and many other countries, serving the evolving needs of Bangladesh’s textile spinning industry and commercial import sector. We are proud to work with globally renowned suppliers for the supply of Australian raw cotton, including Queensland Cotton part of Olam Agri, Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), Bunge, Omni Cotton, and many others.

Meanwhile, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in his budget speech on June11, 2026 said the government has designed an Annual Development Programme (ADP) of Taka three lakh crore for 2026-27 fiscal year.

The ADP has been designed as a people-centric development roadmap aimed at rebuilding the economy, strengthening state institutions and ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth, he said.

The slowdown is even more pronounced compared to FY24, when development spending stood at Tk1,46,375.50 crore (57.54%) in the first 11 months of the fiscal year.

IMED officials said the previous fiscal year did not see a normal environment for development spending. Following the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024, administrative instability emerged, while many project directors and contractors left.

The planning minister said next year ADP is larger than the current fiscal year as the government expects higher implementation capability and efficiency under an elected administration.

The minister described the next year’s ADP as “a reflection of a new development philosophy” that goes beyond traditional infrastructure building.

He said the government has formulated a “Five-Year Strategic Framework for Reform and Development” to guide the country’s economic recovery and transformation over the next five years.