Planning Commission (Bangladesh)
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| Planning Commission (Bangladesh) | |
|---|---|
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| Agency name | Planning Commission (Bangladesh) |
| Formed | 1972 |
| Headquarters | Dhaka |
| Parent agency | Cabinet Division |
| Chief1 position | Chairman |
Planning Commission (Bangladesh) is the central development planning body of the Bangladesh nation responsible for formulating five-year plans, development policies, and sectoral strategies. The agency interacts with ministries such as Ministry of Finance (Bangladesh), Ministry of Planning (Bangladesh), and institutions like the Bangladesh Bank, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, and the Economic Relations Division to coordinate investment, aid, and policy. The Commission engages with international organizations including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme on project financing, technical assistance, and monitoring. It advises the Cabinet of Bangladesh, shapes links with provincial entities like the Division (Bangladesh), and interfaces with think tanks such as the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, the Centre for Policy Dialogue, and universities like University of Dhaka.
History
The Commission was established after the Bangladesh Liberation War and the Independence of Bangladesh (1971) to replace colonial-era planning practices and align reconstruction with national visions such as the First Five Year Plan (Bangladesh), the Second Five Year Plan (Bangladesh), and subsequent development strategies. Early leadership drew on figures tied to institutions like the Planning Commission (India) model, the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East, and advisers from the Commonwealth to address crises including the 1974 Bangladesh famine and cyclones like the 1970 Bhola cyclone. Over decades the Commission adjusted to global shifts represented by the Washington Consensus, the Millennium Development Goals, and the Sustainable Development Goals, while coordinating donor responses after events such as Cyclone Sidr and the Rohingya refugee crisis.
Legal framework and mandate
The Commission derives authority from constitutional provisions associated with the Constitution of Bangladesh and statutory arrangements administered via the Cabinet Division and the Ministry of Planning (Bangladesh). Its mandate links to national instruments including the Fifth Five Year Plan (Bangladesh), the Perspective Plan of Bangladesh 2010–2021, and policy statements related to Vision 2041 (Bangladesh). The legal basis intersects with fiscal mechanisms overseen by the Ministry of Finance (Bangladesh), international agreements with the Paris Agreement and Bilateral aid treaties, and procurement rules influenced by the Public Procurement Act (Bangladesh).
Organization and leadership
Organizational structure aligns with secretariats, divisions, and technical wings that coordinate with agencies such as the Bangladesh Water Development Board, the Bangladesh Rural Development Board, and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council. Leadership roles have paired senior civil servants, technocrats, and economists often educated at institutions like London School of Economics, Harvard University, and University of Dhaka; notable chairs have interacted with personalities associated with the Bangladesh Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. The Commission maintains specialist units for sectors including transport (linked to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority), energy (linked to the Bangladesh Power Development Board), and health (linked to the Directorate General of Health Services (Bangladesh)).
Functions and responsibilities
Key functions include preparing national plans such as the Sixth Five Year Plan (Bangladesh), coordinating sectoral strategies with the Ministry of Education (Bangladesh), advising on resource allocation with the Ministry of Finance (Bangladesh), and appraising projects financed by the Asian Development Bank and the International Development Association. The Commission evaluates data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, commissions studies with the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, and monitors targets aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. It convenes interagency committees with entities like the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) and the Local Government Division to integrate urban strategies with agencies such as the Dhaka North City Corporation and the Dhaka South City Corporation.
Planning processes and major plans
The Commission leads formulation of five-year plans, perspective plans, and annual development programs, coordinating consultations with political actors such as the Parliament of Bangladesh, civil society groups like BRAC, and donor missions from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Major documents include the Perspective Plan of Bangladesh 2010–2021, the Seventh Five Year Plan (Bangladesh), and strategic inputs towards Vision 2041 (Bangladesh). Processes draw on modeling tools used by institutions like the International Monetary Fund and scenario analysis similar to work by the United Nations Development Programme.
Projects and programs
The Commission has overseen and appraised flagship interventions spanning infrastructure projects with the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, energy initiatives with the Petrobangla, social protection programs tied to the Department of Social Services (Bangladesh), and rural development schemes with the Bangladesh Rural Development Board. It coordinated donor-backed programs including Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 inputs, flood resilience efforts after Cyclone Aila, and urban transport projects such as collaborations involving the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Criticisms and reforms
Critics from media outlets like The Daily Star and policy groups such as the Centre for Policy Dialogue have raised issues about coordination gaps with ministries including the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (Bangladesh), delays in project implementation monitored by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), and challenges aligning plans with realities highlighted by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies. Reform proposals advocate stronger links to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data, streamlined procedures in line with international best practices promoted by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, and institutional strengthening comparable to reforms in the Planning Commission (India).
Category:Government agencies of Bangladesh