B Mirror Report : The National Economic Council (NEC) has slashed Tk 30,000 crore from the current year’s development allocations due to political instability and other factors. As a result, the revised Annual Development Programme (ADP) allocation for the 2025-26 fiscal year now stands at Tk 2 lakh crore.

The decision was approved on Monday (January 12) at a meeting held at the NEC conference hall in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, presided over by Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

Under the revised ADP, the allocation from government funds is Tk 1.28 lakh crore, and from foreign loans is Tk 72,000 crore. This reflects a reduction of Tk 16,000 crore in government funding and Tk 14,000 crore in foreign loans compared to the original ADP.

Among mega-projects, the Metro Rail Line-1 (MRT Line-1) saw the largest cut. Its allocation has dropped from Tk 8,631.43 crore to Tk 801 crore, a reduction of Tk 7,830.43 crore or 91 percent.

The second-largest cut is for the Matarbari Port Development Project, where the allocation has been reduced from Tk 4,068 crore to Tk 1,085 crore, a 73 percent reduction. The Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Expansion Project follows, with its allocation cut by Tk 732.91 crore, from Tk 1,039.35 crore to Tk 306.44 crore, a 71 percent reduction.

Other notable cuts include:

• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project: Reduced from Tk 425.04 crore to Tk 168.06 crore (60% cut)
• Metro Rail Line-5: Reduced from Tk 1,490.65 crore to Tk 592.08 crore (60% cut)
• Metro Rail Line-6: Reduced from Tk 1,347.44 crore to Tk 1,023.48 crore (24% cut)
• Upgrading Hatikhumrul-Rangpur Highway to 4 lanes: Reduced from Tk 1,872.05 crore to Tk 1,562.53 crore (17% cut)
• Dhaka-Sylhet Highway 4-lane Project: Reduced from Tk 1,723.71 crore by Tk 55 crore

The Planning Commission has confirmed these revised allocations, reflecting a significant reduction in development spending across key infrastructure projects.