Health ministry’s poor show drags execution

Despite being the third-largest budget-holder, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recorded the lowest project- implementation rate, affecting overall development progress and potentially slowing Bangladesh’s economic growth, officials said on Monday.

The slow performance has also dragged down the overall Annual Development Programme (ADP) impleme-ntation to just 11.75 per cent during the July-November period of FY2025-26.

The health ministry alone received Tk 122.94 billion, 5.16 per cent of the total Tk 2.38 trillion ADP outlay, but utilised only 3.09 per cent in the first five months of the fiscal year, according to Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) officials.

Poor execution by several ministries and divisions—including Health, Railways, and Roads and Highways—has contributed to the slow ADP implementation, they said.

Public agencies and ministries spent a record low Tk 280.44 billion, or 11.75 per cent of the total ADP, during July-November. By comparison, the expenditure rate was 12.29 per cent in FY2025, 17.06 per cent in FY2024, and 18.41 per cent in FY2023.

Of the Tk 280.44 billion spent, Tk 156.14 billion (10.84 per cent) came from the government’s internal resources, Tk 107.94 billion (12.55 per cent) from project aid, and Tk 16.36 billion (18.81 per cent) from implementing agencies’ own funds, IMED data showed.

Experts warned that such slow progress could hinder both public and private investment, ultimately affecting the country’s economic growth.

According to IMED statistics, the Health Services Division and the Health Education & Family Planning Division spent only Tk 3.78 billion, 3.09 per cent of their Tk 122.94 billion allocation. The ministry ranks third in ADP allocation after the Local Government Division and Roads and Highways Division.

IMED officials attributed the low execution rate to government austerity measures and the upcoming national elections. Other major contributors to poor ADP implementation include the railways ministry, Roads and Highways Division, and the Secondary and Higher Education Division.

The railways ministry, the 8^th-largest ADP budget holder, utilised just 7.38 per cent of its allocation; the Roads and Highways Division 7.49 per cent; the Secondary and Higher Education Division 9.66 per cent; the Power Division 10.53 per cent; and the shipping ministry 10.58 per cent during the July-November period.

In contrast, the science and technology ministry, water resources ministry, Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Local Government Division, and agriculture ministry performed better during the same period.

The government has allocated Tk 2.38 trillion for more than 1,198 projects in the current fiscal year.