Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said the government's new strategic economic framework would mark a milestone in Bangladesh's development history

Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir on Thursday said the government's proposed five-year strategic economic framework would "undoubtedly be a milestone" in Bangladesh's planning history, as it aims to establish an accountable, transparent and implementation-oriented development process.

Serving as Adviser to the Prime Minister on the Ministries of Finance and Planning, Titumir described the initiative as a timely and unprecedented step toward inclusive economic strategy formulation.

“This is a different and timely initiative. In Bangladesh's recent history, such an inclusive advisory committee for economic strategy formulation has never been formed before,” he said.

Speaking as chief guest at a press briefing following the second meeting of the Advisory Council on formulation of the strategic economic framework at the NEC Conference Room, Titumir said the government was determined to move away from what experts termed the ineffective planning culture of the past, where development plans often remained confined to paper.

Md Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, State Minister for Planning, attended the meeting as special guest, while Planning Adviser to the Interim Government Wahiduddin Mahmud chaired the session. Planning Secretary SM Shakil Akhter and GED Member of the Planning Commission Dr M Monzur Hossain were also present.

Economists, business leaders, academics, researchers, civil society representatives and experts from different sectors attended the meeting and reviewed the draft framework prepared by the government.

According to Titumir, participants expressed satisfaction with the draft and appreciated the government's effort to formulate a realistic and effective economic strategy through a participatory process.

“They said previous plans effectively became dead documents from the very next day of their approval because the strategies and targets were never implemented,” he noted.

Titumir alleged that project selection and implementation under the previous administration had been heavily influenced by patronage, inflated expenditures and weak accountability, ultimately placing a significant debt burden on the country. He said the current government had already begun reviewing many such projects after assuming office.

“Projects were selected through patronage and expenditure was repeatedly increased without proper justification. In many cases there was no relation between project costs and actual requirements,” he said.

He explained that the proposed framework introduces major structural reforms to ensure effective implementation and greater public accountability. Separate chapters have been included on implementation reforms, monitoring and evaluation systems, inter-ministerial coordination and ensuring free flow of information.

“We want to prepare a realistic and implementable planning document. That is why reforms relating to implementation, monitoring and evaluation have been incorporated directly into the framework,” he said.

The adviser also referred to the “June syndrome” in public spending, where development expenditures are often rushed at the end of the fiscal year, leading to waste, irregularities and poor-quality implementation.

“We are introducing continuous monitoring and evaluation mechanisms so that development works are not hurriedly completed at the end of the fiscal year,” he said.

Titumir added that the government aimed to institutionalize transparency by making official data and project-related information more accessible to citizens, researchers and academics.

“There was a culture of secrecy and data manipulation in the past. We want to ensure free flow of information so that students, teachers, researchers and citizens can independently verify whether project outcomes actually match government claims,” he said.

He said the framework, scheduled to be implemented from the next fiscal year, would also fundamentally reform the programming process through which development projects are selected and approved.

“Projects can no longer be selected merely for patronage distribution. These are financed by taxpayers' money and therefore must reflect public aspirations and economic rationale,” he added.

According to the adviser, the strategic framework has been designed in line with the government's broader vision of building a humane, democratic welfare state founded on equality, dignity, justice and the rule of law. Referring to the ideals of the Liberation War, he said the government sought to ensure balanced socio-economic development, reduce inequality and strengthen state capacity through democratic planning.

He said the framework aims to help Bangladesh become a trillion-dollar economy by 2034 through realistic macroeconomic targets, sector-based strategies and measurable indicators.

“There will be sector-specific planning and clear indicators so that implementation progress can be monitored properly,” he said.

Titumir also outlined the participatory process followed in drafting the framework. Ministries and divisions were instructed to submit three separate documents — a 180-day action plan, plans for the next fiscal year aligned with the government’s election manifesto and a five-year sectoral strategy. Recommendations from economists, business representatives, academics, researchers and civil society members were also incorporated into the draft.

“The framework has emerged through public mandate, institutional consultation and participation of stakeholders. That is where its legitimacy lies,” he said.

He added that the draft was subsequently reviewed by a technical committee before being presented to the advisory council.

“The experts appreciated the realism of the framework. They observed that there are no unrealistic promises or rhetorical targets in this document,” he said.

The draft framework will now be sent to the National Steering Committee and later to the National Economic Council for further discussion and approval.

Replying to journalists’ questions, Titumir said the government was working to strengthen institutions, particularly the Planning Commission, so that it could operate independently and professionally.

“In the past, many projects were approved without proper scrutiny and in some cases even without appointing project directors. We want institutions to function properly and ensure economic logic and public interest in project approval,” he said.

He also said the government planned to introduce project dashboards at the local level, enabling citizens to monitor project progress, expenditures and implementation status in real time.

On access to information, Titumir said the government was working to make data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics more accessible to researchers and the public.

“We believe in accountability and therefore answer questions. Free flow of information is essential for ensuring transparency, accountability and rule of law,” he added.