Dhaka: Adviser to the Prime Minister on the Ministries of Finance and Planning Dr. Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir today emphasized the significance of the government’s proposed Five-Year strategic economic framework, describing it as a “milestone” in Bangladesh’s planning history. This framework aims to establish a more accountable, transparent, and implementation-oriented development process.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr. Titumir highlighted the uniqueness and timeliness of this initiative during a press briefing following the second meeting of the Advisory Council on the strategic economic framework. The meeting underscored the government’s commitment to moving beyond the ineffective planning culture of the past, where development plans often remained unimplemented.
State Minister for Planning, Md. Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, attended the meeting as the Special Guest, while Planning Adviser to the Interim Government, Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud, presided over the session. Key figures such as Planning Secretary SM Shakil Akhter and GED Member of the Planning Commission Dr. M Monzur Hossain were also in attendance. The draft framework received reviews from economists, business leaders, academics, and representatives from civil society and various sectors.
The finance and planning adviser conveyed that participants expressed satisfaction with the draft, appreciating the government’s efforts to create a realistic and effective economic strategy through a participatory process. He noted that previous plans often became obsolete immediately after approval due to the lack of implementation of strategies and targets.
Dr. Titumir criticized the previous administration for project selection and implementation that were heavily influenced by patronage, inflated expenditures, and a lack of accountability, leading to a significant debt burden. The current government has initiated a review of such projects, aiming to introduce major structural reforms to ensure effective implementation and public accountability.
The proposed framework includes separate chapters on implementation reforms, monitoring and evaluation systems, inter-ministerial coordination, and ensuring the free flow of information. The adviser highlighted the “June syndrome” in public spending, where development expenditures are hurriedly completed at the fiscal year’s end, resulting in waste and poor quality implementation. Continuous monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are being introduced to address these issues.
Dr. Titumir emphasized the government’s intention to foster a culture of transparency, granting citizens, researchers, and academics easier access to official data and project-related information. He also discussed plans to fundamentally change the “programming process” through which development projects are selected and approved, ensuring they reflect public aspirations and economic rationale.
The strategic framework aligns with the government’s broader vision of building a “humane, democratic welfare state” based on equality, dignity, justice, and the rule of law. It aims to help Bangladesh become a trillion-dollar economy by 2034 through realistic macroeconomic targets and measurable indicators.
The adviser detailed the participatory process in preparing the framework, which incorporated views and recommendations from various stakeholders. The draft, reviewed by a technical committee, will be presented to the National Steering Committee and the National Economic Council for further discussion and approval.
Dr. Titumir addressed questions from journalists, emphasizing the government’s efforts to strengthen institutions like the Planning Commission to function independently. He also mentioned plans to introduce project dashboards at local levels to enable citizens to monitor project progress and expenditures in real time.
In conclusion, Dr. Titumir stressed the importance of making Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data more accessible to ensure transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.