Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan on Saturday said the interim government will prioritise addressing the needs of people through direct engagement instead of the practice of making plans solely from Dhaka.  "From now on the interim government will not make any plans sitting in Dhaka. We will do what the people want by talking to them," he said while speaking to reporters in front of the administrative building of Itna Upazila Parishad.  The adviser assured that the government is actively working to resolve issues arising from the construction of all-weather road in the Haor region of Kishoreganj. Chief Adviser Dr Yunus attends Adviser Ariff’s Janaza He said connecting Haor upazilas with the Kishoreganj district on one side and Sylhet on the other would be treated as a priority.  Earlier in the day, Fouzul Kabir Khan traveled to Itna Upazila via road from Kishoreganj and participated in a view-exchange meeting at the Itna Upazila administration hall. The meeting brought together freedom fighters, local political leaders, government officials, teachers, journalists and members of civil society.  Transport sector mired in corruption: Adviser Nahid During his journey, the adviser inspected the Itna-Mithamain-Ashtagram all-weather road.  Secretary of the Roads and Bridges Department Ehsanul Haque, Kishoreganj Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Khan, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury and other officials accompanied the adviser during the visit.

The  government has invited UN Secretary General António Guterres to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time in 2025 to see by himself the transformation the country  is going through.  On behalf of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith extended the invitation on December 17. The Secretary General reiterated his full support for the interim government headed by Prof Yunus.  He also expressed the hope that Bangladesh will continue its active role to promote multilateralism in the UN system, particularly in addressing the global challenges such as climate change, development, international peace and security, food and water insecurity, etc.  Ambassador Muhith paid farewell call on the UN Secretary General António Guterres in the UN Headquarters. CA Dr Yunus leaves for Egypt to attend D-8 summit During the meeting, the Permanent Representative discussed the all-stakeholder high-level International Conference on Rohingya in the first quarter of 2025, as decided by the UN member states in the resolution adopted recently by consensus in the 79th session of UN General Assembly.  Ambassador Muhith sought Secretary General’s necessary cooperation in organising a result-oriented conference which would review the overall crisis in order to propose a comprehensive, concrete and time-bound plan for a sustainable resolution of the crisis, including voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar.  US reaffirms support for Rohingya amid concern over Myanmar The UN Secretary General expressed his deep concern over the plight of the Rohingyas and highly commended Bangladesh for sheltering the displaced Rohingyas.  He assured UN’s full support for the high-level conference in 2025 and emphasised the success of the conference towards finding an early and durable solution to the crisis. Ambassador Muhith briefed the UN Secretary General about the formation of the six reform commissions by the interim government in the areas of public administration, Anti-Corruption Commission, judiciary, police, the electoral system, and the constitution, in the lead up to holding a free, fair and credible general election in Bangladesh.  The UN Secretary General highly appreciated Ambassador Muhith for his outstanding contributions as a PR of Bangladesh to the UN and expected that Bangladesh would benefit from his long experience and expertise in multilateralism in the coming years.  In the farewell call, the officials from Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the UN and the Executive Office of the Secretary General were present.  Ambassador Muhith, a career diplomat and former Bangladesh Ambassador to Austria and Denmark, joined the Bangladesh Permanent Mission in New York in August 2022.  UN reappoints Dr Debapriya to Committee for Development Policy During his tenure, he served as the President of the Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS for 2024, Chair of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of UN General Assembly for its 79th Session, Chair of UN Peacebuilding Commission for 2022 and Vice Chair for 2023, and President of Executive Board of UN Women for 2022.  He has been elected as a member of the prestigious International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) for 2025-2028 in a heavily contested election held in November this year at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The country will need some Tk 5,824 billion as deficit financing in the next two fiscals where the domestic bond market is under focus of development to meet the need. Of the total amount, some Tk 2785 billion will be needed for the next 2025-26 fiscal while some Tk 3039 billion will be needed for 2026-27 fiscal, according to an official document of the Finance Ministry. In the running 2024-25 fiscal the deficit financing is estimated at Tk 2559 billion. The document said that Government of Bangladesh remains committed to sustaining a prudent fiscal policy while efficiently financing its development projects. In the medium-term, the government's approach to deficit financing and debt management aims to secure its financing needs and meet its payment obligations at the lowest possible cost, consistent with a prudent degree of risk. Stock Regulatory measures on several market manipulators caused a plunge last week: Analysts A central focus of this strategy is the development of a vibrant bond market, providing a stable and efficient funding source for the government, the document said. Through disciplined fiscal management, the government seeks to bolster investor confidence, deepen the capital market, and support the nation's overall economic growth. As per the document, Tk 940 billion will come from foreign sources for 2025-26 fiscal according to the projection while Tk 800 billion for 2026-27 fiscal. The estimation for the running fiscal is Tk 950 billion. From the internal sources of financing, the government has estimated to gather Tk 1609 billion for the running fiscal, while Tk 1845 billion for the next 2025-26 fiscal and Tk 2239 billion for 2026-27 fiscal. In the running fiscal, the government has estimated to collect Tk 1275 billion from banking sector, Tk 334 billion from non-banking sector, Tk 254 billion from savings certificates and Tk 80 billion from other sectors. 18 banks at risk due to potential loan defaults by top 3 borrowers: Bangladesh Bank The projection for the 2025-26 fiscal is Tk 1679 billion from banking sector, Tk 166 billion from non-banking sector, Tk 105 billion from savings certificates and Tk 61 billion from other sectors. In 2026-27 fiscal, the government would collect Tk 1847 billion from banking sector, Tk 302 billion from non-banking sector, Tk 323 billion from savings certificates and Tk 69 billion from other sectors. The document mentioned that the historical trend and medium-term projection on deficit financing in Bangladesh from FY22 to FY27 indicates a planned increase in total net financing, rising from Tk 1,831.2 billion in FY22 to Tk 3,039 billion in FY27. While total net financing as a percentage of GDP starts at 4.6 percent in FY22 and falls to 4.4 percent in FY27, indicating a path towards fiscal consolidation, the sources of financing show distinct trends. City Bank to introduce inflation-adjusted wages in payroll External net financing decreases as a percentage of GDP, from 1.7 percent in FY22 to 1.1 percent in FY27, indicating a declining dependence on external sources. In contrast, domestic net financing exhibits a growing emphasis on domestic sources, particularly through marketable securities. It rises from 2.9 percent of GDP in FY22 to 3.2 percent of GDP in FY27, suggesting a shift towards promoting the bond market and strengthening the capital market. However, fluctuations in non-bank financing are observed during the period. These variations primarily stem from the government's deliberate efforts to reduce financing from high-cost National Savings Certificates (NSCs), resulting in reforms in the NSCs system. By diversifying its funding sources, including non- bank instruments, the government aims to achieve a more balanced and sustainable financing mix while controlling financing costs and risks.

Sarjis Alam, general secretary of the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation,  has said no one will be spared if they betray the spirit of the mass uprising. “Even Chief Adviser Dr. Yunus would not be exempted if he betrays the faith of the movement,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at a programme organised by the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation at Rajshahi district Shilpakala Academy on Saturday. Sarjis, also one of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, said they are not brokers or power-hungry people. Intellectuals' killings were anti-liberation forces’ most heinous revenge: Dr Yunus Regarding India, he said Bangladesh's relationship with India will be determined by India's actions. If India seeks to maintain good relations, it must return fugitive Hasina and stop sheltering her, he said adding that the people of Bangladesh will bring her to book. He claimed that instead of punishing the police officers who had opened fire during the recent movement, lobbying  is on for their new postings. He further alleged that leaders of various political parties and senior officials from the administration are becoming involved in ‘arrest-trade’. He raised question about the exhumation of the bodies of the July-August martyrs, saying why they should be exhumed when the bodies of those involved in Sheikh Mujib's killing were not. BDR families demand renaming of BGB, justice for mutiny victims

The development budget for the running 2024-25 fiscal, which was taken by Awami League government, is likely to witness a major shrink as the interim government has axed a good number of projects. The interim government that came into power on August 8 following the student-people uprising has decided to cut short many development projects terming those as the politically motivated ones. According to the Planning Ministry sources, the ECNEC in its meetings came to a decision that many development projects which were taken by the AwamI League government did not seem to bring good results as per the expenditure. “The development budget would be smaller compared to the previous years,” Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud recently told in a media briefing after the ECNEC meeting. The four months of the running fiscal saw a record low of 8 percent implementation of the development budget, this low implementation rate is also applicable for the foreign funded projects. As per the information from the Planning Commission the rate is 12-13 percent for those government entities which implement projects from their own funding. The implementation pace of government's development programmes has remained sluggish, with the Annual Development Programme (ADP) showing one of its lowest execution rates in the past five years. During the first four months of the current fiscal year, from July to October, the ADP implementation rate stood at only around 8%, the lowest figure in recent years, according to the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) of the Planning Ministry. Development budget set for major shrink as govt to cut ‘politically motivated’ projects Its data highlights that, in contrast, the same period last year saw an execution rate of 11.54%. Specifically, for the period from July to October of the current fiscal year, the government managed to implement development projects worth Tk 21,978 crore, according to the IMED. The Professor Muhammad Yunus led interim government in its first Ecnec meeting had decided to reduce the development budget. Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud mentioned that many of the taken projects were politically motivated and those will not bring good results compared to the expenditures. “To us it did not seem that those will bring any good result, we have axed those, generally the revised development budget shrinks to some extent, this time the ratio will be higher,” he said. He also said that in the previous times after the Ecnec nod of any project the concern ministry used to become free from their responsibilities. “But this time in the implementation level to ensure corruption free and irregularities free the concerned ministries will be responsible,” he added. Due to this there have been amendments in the running projects, even in the foreign funded projects after consulting with them. “There is some conditions from the lenders while they provide loans, the amendments are done after convincing them,” the Planning Adviser said. Planning Ministry sources said that the slow pace of the project implementation has occurred as many running project directors have fled away. As a result, the government has faced severe problems to continue the projects. “The ministries are not reached in a stable position, so preparing new project and give proper in that preparation…” Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud told in the ECNEC briefing. Bangladesh expects budget support from World Bank within this year: Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Planning Commission sources mentioned that the interim government is putting emphasis on the innovative and new type of projects keeping aside the old fashioned politically motivated ones. The Planning Adviser has already asked concerned officials to prepare projects after deep thinking and make sure that the particular project would bring multiple positive results against its expenditure, the sources said. They said that preparing new type and innovative projects is a time consuming matter. The National Economic Council (NEC) of the Awami League government approved the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the fiscal year of 2024-2025 with an outlay of Tk 265,000 crores. The transport and communication sector got the highest allocation of Tk 70, 687.75 crore (26. 67pc of allocation) in the ADP. Besides, the NEC approved some Tk 13,288.91-crore ADP of the autonomous bodies or corporations. Among the Tk 265,000 crores, Tk 165,000 crore will be financed from domestic sources, while the rest Tk 100,000 crore from foreign sources. In the new ADP, the total number of projects is 1,321 including 1,133 investment projects, 21 survey projects, 87 technical assistance projects and 80 projects from the autonomous bodies and corporations. NBR aims to improve tax-GDP ratio to address chronic budget deficits Out of the Tk 13,288.91-crore ADP of the autonomous bodies or corporations, Tk 11,698.96 crore will be mobilized from internal resources, while the remaining Tk 1,589.95 crore from foreign sources So, with the 13,288.91 crore ADP for autonomous bodies or corporations, the total size of ADP for 2024-2025 has stood at Tk 278,288.91 crore. Among the top 10 sectors in terms of allocation, the power and energy sector received the 2nd highest allocation of around Tk 40,752 crore (15.38pc) followed by education sector with Tk 31,529 crore (11.36pc), housing community facilities with Tk 24,868 crore (9.38pc), health sector with Tk 20,683 crore (7.80pc), local government and rural development with Tk 17,986 crore (6.79pc), agriculture sector with Tk 13,220 crore (4.99pc), environment, climate change and water resources with Tk 11,089 crore (4.18pc), industry and economic services with Tk 6,492 crore (2.45pc) and science and information technology sector with Tk 4,786 crore (1.25pc). The total allocation against the top 10 sectors is some Tk 242,093 crore (90.25pc of the total ADP) According to the new ADP for FY25, the highest 10 allocation recipient ministries and divisions are Local Government Division with some Tk 38,809 crore (15pc of allocation), Road Transport and Highways Division with Tk 32,042 crore (12.39pc), Power Division with Tk 29,177 crore (11.28pc), Primary and Mass Education Ministry with Tk 16,136 crore (6.24pc), Health Services Division with Tk 13,741 crore (5.31pc ), Railways Ministry with Tk 13,726 crore (5.31pc), Science and Technology Ministry with Tk 12,887 crore (4.98pc), Secondary and Higher Education Division with Tk 11,388 crore (4.40pc), Shipping Ministry with Tk 10,373 crore (4.01pc) and Water Resources Ministry with Tk 8, 687 crore (3.36pc). The total allocation against the 10 ministries or divisions is around Tk 186,965 crore, which is some 72 percent of the overall ADP outlay.

The committee formed to look into the appeals of the retired government officials who were reportedly deprived of promotion and service benefits during the immediate past regime led by Awami League has submitted its report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. Committee Chief Zakir Ahmed Khan submitted the report with necessary recommendations at the Chief Adviser’s official residence at state guest house Jamuna. New Bangladesh would contribute to stability in the region, as well as globally: Yunus to EU The government formed the five-member committee on September 16, 2024. The committee was tasked with reviewing applications from government officials who had faced various forms of career-related deprivation during their service and woent of retirement between 2009 and August 4, 2024. The committee chaired by former Finance Secretary and former Alternate Executive Director at the World Bank for Bangladesh, Zakir Ahmed Khan was directed to provide appropriate recommendations based on its review. Dr Yunus urges India to clear recent "clouds" over bilateral relations The Chief Adviser thanked the committee members for submitting the report before the stipulated 90-day deadline. Chief Secretary to the Chief Adviser M. Siraj Uddin Mia was also present during the report submission.

The interim government has taken a move to expedite the implementation of the annual development programme (ADP) aiming to induce money flow in the economy. To expedite the implementation, the interim government has decided to put emphasis on the projects which have been cleared by them since coming to office on August 8. The government in principle took the decision at a recently held ECNEC meeting chaired by the Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. Govt floats tender for 12 grid-tied solar plants in private sector The decision came following the record lowest ADP implementation rate of just 8 percent in the first four months of the running 2024-25 fiscal. According to the Planning Commission sources, directives have been given to accelerate implementation of the projects from now on. Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud while briefing reporters about the recently held ECNEC meeting had said that the approved ADP projects by this government would be implemented quickly aiming to accelerate the implementation rate.  “By this way, hopefully we will be able to increase the implementation rate by the end of the running fiscal,” he said. But he said that the implementation would be done in a proper way. Planning Commission sources said that the government put special emphasis on the good and innovative projects which are corruption free initially, while implementation of the projects have to be corruption free from any aspect. The interim government thinks that the previous Awami League government took a number of projects at inflated value that resulted in irregularities during its implementation level, including during the appointment of the contractor. Illegal sand extraction in Feni continues despite political shift To prevent corruption and irregularities in the development projects, from the very beginning the interim government tried to stop wastage of public money, and corruption and cut short the number of projects numbers for which the implementation rate suffered a lot, causing a heavy toll on the money circulation in the economy. “We will definitely scrutinise the projects, we have taken the decision in principle that the good projects that we are thinking about and which got new project directors will be advanced in a speedy manner,” the Planning Adviser said. The interim government that came into office on August 8 following the student-people uprising has decided to cut short many development projects terming those as the politically motivated ones. The four months of the running fiscal saw a record low of 8 percent implementation of the development budget, according to the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) of the Planning Ministry.  The same period last year saw an execution rate of 11.54%. As per the information from the Planning Commission the rate is 12-13 percent for those government entities which implement projects from their own funding. Specifically, for the period from July to October of the current fiscal year, the government managed to implement development projects worth Tk 21,978 crore, according to the IMED. PDB can save US$1.2 billion annually through power sector reforms: IEEFA The Professor Muhammad Yunus led interim government in its first Ecnec meeting had decided to reduce the development budget. The National Economic Council (NEC) of the Awami League government approved the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the fiscal year of 2024-2025 with an outlay of Tk 265,000 crores. The transport and communication sector got the highest allocation of Tk 70, 687.75 crore (26. 67pc of  budget allocation) in the ADP. With 13,288.91 crore ADP for autonomous bodies or corporations, the total size of ADP for 2024-2025 stood at Tk 278,288.91 crore.

Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter on Saturday said that the interim government assumed the responsibility that comes with the office they hold, not 'power', and would like to see political parties adopt a similar approach when they form government after elections.  She made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion titled “Mass Aspirations, Mass Uprising: Expectations, Achievements and Review of the Current Situation,” organized by Gana-Akangkha Mancha at the Dhaka Reporters Unity Auditorium in Dhaka.  Highlighting the need for national harmony, she said, "Divisions based on religious identity are undesirable—we need to unite as humans. Some recent incidents have led India to claim that our minority Hindu community is being persecuted. But we are not afraid of such propaganda, because the change we wanted to bring, our children have brought it. India could not stop our mass uprising.” Looking forward to next year with hopes for a better Bangladesh: Foreign Secretary "Our youth have successfully expelled fascist forces through a mass movements, achieving what no political party could," she also said. The adviser mentioned that protecting the sovereignty of Bangladesh is a shared responsibility  of every citizen, not just for the armed forces. Paying homage to the mothers of martyrs, she said, "In exchange for the blood of the children, we have achieved a new Bangladesh. It is heartbreaking that the list of martyrs continues to grow."  She also expressed the government’s commitment to expanding the agricultural sector, urging stakeholders to prioritize increased local production alongside imports. "Farmers must be included in statistical evaluations, not just agricultural products," she added.  ‘Fighting my own shadow,’ says energy adviser about bureaucratic challenges Speakers at the event underscored the need to ensure constitutional reforms that protect the rights and dignity of students, workers, farmers and the general public. They stressed the importance of drafting a constitution that reflects the principles of equality and justice.  The event was chaired by Abdul Majid Antar, convener of Gana-Akanksha Mancha and attended by key figures, including State Reform Movement Chief Coordinator Advocate Hasnat Qayyum, Dhaka University Associate Professor Dr  Samina Lutfa, Bangladesh Press Institute Director General Faruk Wasif and Rajshahi University Associate Professor Dr Golam Sarwar.

The development budget for 2024-25 fiscal year, approved by the previous government, is likely to witness a major shrink as the interim government has decided to scale back many of those labeling them ‘politically motivated’.  The interim government that came to power on August 8 following the student-led mass uprising has decided to cut short these ‘unessential’ projects, aiming to prevent wastage of public money. According to the Planning Ministry sources, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) concluded in its meetings that several projects initiated by the Awami League government had not delivered satisfactory results relative to their costs. “The development budget would be smaller comparing to the previous years,” Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud recently told in a media briefing after an ECNEC meeting.  Many project directors fled after govt change; new appointments delay progress: Planning Adviser The first four months of the current fiscal year have seen an exceptionally low 8% implementation rate of the development budget, which also applies to foreign-funded projects. The Planning Commission data shows that the rate stands at 12-13% for government entities using their own funds to implement projects. The pace of government development programmes has remained sluggish, with the Annual Development Programme (ADP) recording one of its lowest execution rates in the last five years. During the first four months of the current fiscal year, from July to October, the ADP implementation rate stood at only around 8%, the lowest figure in recent years, according to the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) of the Planning Ministry. Its data highlights that, in contrast, the same period last year saw an execution rate of 11.54%. Specifically, for the period from July to October of the current fiscal year, the government managed to implement development projects worth Tk 21,978 crore, according to the IMED.  Dr Yunus- led interim government in its first Ecnec meeting had decided to reduce the development budget. Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud said many of the previous projects were politically motivated and unlikely to yield positive results in proportion to their costs. Planning Adviser apprehends economic recession amid stagnant investment, development spending “We did not believe these would bring any substantial results, so we have cut them. Typically, the revised development budget shrinks, but this time the reduction will be more significant,” he said. Planning Ministry sources said the slow pace of project implementation is partly due to the fact that many project directors have fled. This has created significant challenges for the government in continuing the projects. Planning Commission sources said the interim government is putting emphasis on the innovative and new type of projects moving away from outdated and politically motivated ones. The Planning Adviser has instructed relevant officials to carefully design projects ensuring they will deliver multiple positive outcomes relative to their costs, the sources said. The National Economic Council (NEC) of the Awami League government approved the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the fiscal year of 2024-2025 with an outlay of Tk 265,000 crores. Govt prioritising quality over quantity in development spending: Planning Adviser The transport and communication sector got the highest allocation of Tk 70, 687.75 crore (26. 67pc of allocation) in the ADP. Besides, the NEC approved some Tk 13,288.91-crore ADP of the autonomous bodies or corporations. In the new ADP, the total number of projects is 1,321 including 1,133 investment projects, 21 survey projects, 87 technical assistance projects and 80 projects from the autonomous bodies and corporations. With 13,288.91 crore ADP for autonomous bodies or corporations, the total size of ADP for 2024-2025 stood at Tk 278,288.91 crore.

The United States has welcomed the ongoing efforts of Bangladesh's interim government to ensure the safety and security of all citizens. A spokesperson for the US Department of State made this statement in response to a question from Voice of America Bangla on Tuesday (Dec 3). Addressing concerns about alleged inaction by the interim government regarding the safety of minority communities, the State Department noted via an emailed response: "We condemn any acts of violence or intolerance towards members of minority communities and welcome the interim government's continued efforts to ensure the security of all citizens in Bangladesh." American top court weighs Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors When asked about the US position on alleged persecution of minority communities in Bangladesh, the Department further stated: "The United States supports freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and the rights to peaceful assembly and association as fundamental freedoms. We consistently communicate our support for these rights to the interim government of Bangladesh and our other partners." The US State Department also addressed concerns surrounding the designation of ISKCON as a "terrorist organisation" in Bangladesh and the ongoing legal troubles of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari. The spokesperson noted: "These issues should be resolved by the government of Bangladesh in line with the rights guaranteed by its constitution and laws. We urge Bangladesh, as we do all countries, to uphold freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, association, and religion or belief." Argentina Ambassador meets BGMEA Administrator to discuss trade and investment potential India-Bangladesh Tensions Tensions have risen between Bangladesh and India over the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das and the reported persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh. Responding to a question about the US role in promoting regional security amid these developments, the State Department spokesperson said: "We deeply value our relationships with both Bangladesh and India. We leave the matter of their diplomatic relations to the respective governments."