Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed on Friday warned against approving large-scale projects without proper evaluation, cautioning that such decisions could jeopardize Bangladesh’s debt sustainability.
“Before approving any big project, we must assess whether the demand is justified, whether the project is feasible, and whether it promises long-term benefits,” said the adviser while speaking as chief guest at a workshop titled “Navigating Public Debt in Bangladesh” at a hotel in Gazipur.
Organized by the Finance Division under the Strengthening Public Financial Management Program to Enable Service Delivery (SPFMS), the workshop brought together top government officials and development partners to discuss public debt management strategies.
Dr. Salehuddin emphasized that debt management is a shared responsibility, not the government’s burden alone. “It involves the corporate sector, Bangladesh Bank, the bond market, and private actors,” he said, stressing the need for collective action and stronger institutional coordination.
He highlighted the critical need for real-time data and integrated systems to manage debt effectively. “Real-time data and institutional interoperability are critical to managing our debt effectively — and that remains one of our biggest challenges,” he said.
Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant for the Ministry of Finance Dr. Anisuzzaman Chowdhury attended as special guest, calling for inter-ministerial coordination to strengthen the government’s debt response. He urged all relevant stakeholders to meet soon and make effective decisions.
Finance Division Secretary Dr. Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder, who presided over the event, stressed the importance of innovative strategies in ensuring fiscal sustainability. “External borrowing opportunities are shrinking — we now need to focus more on domestic borrowing,” he said.
He also called for building a stronger professional base with more skilled debt management experts in the country.
Key presentations were delivered by Additional Secretary of the Treasury and Debt Management Wing Hasan Khaled Foisal, Joint Secretary Mohd Rashedul Amin, Deputy Secretary Farid Ahmed, and IMF Economist Arindam Roy.
The workshop featured panel discussions moderated by Additional Secretary (Budget and Macroeconomics) Shirajun Noor Chowdhury and Additional Secretary (Macroeconomics-1) Dr. Ziaul Abedin.
About 75 participants from the Finance Division, Economic Relations Division, Department of National Savings, Bangladesh Bank, and the World Bank took part in the event.