At the start of this fiscal year, Bangladesh had nearly $46 billion in foreign aid in the pipeline, with the interim government aiming to use these funds to strengthen foreign currency reserves. Planning and Education Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud has urged the Planning Commission to accelerate foreign-funded projects and collaborate with the Economic Relations Division (ERD) to address any issues promptly.
As of July 1, $45.88 billion in foreign aid was in the pipeline. Bangladesh utilized $9.89 billion of this aid in 2023-2024, about 21.95% of the total, slightly up from 22.11% in the previous fiscal year. Historically, the country’s aid utilization rate has been around 14-15%. Major projects like the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant have significant amounts of aid pending, primarily due to the way funds are disbursed. Efforts are underway to release $3-4 billion from the pipeline and reallocate funds from slow-moving projects.