Introduction

The aid effectiveness agenda signifies a major transformation in the global development cooperation framework, prioritizing recipient ownership, donor harmonization, and measureable outcomes to improve the efficacy of foreign aid at the national level. This chapter examines the key principles of the global aid effectiveness agenda, outlining its development and significance in influencing international aid policy reforms. It highlights how international momentum around the agenda has waned, leading to reduced country-level activities and the neglect of its ‘unfinished business.’ It also lays the foundation for a comprehensive examination of the implementation status of the global aid effectiveness agenda in Bangladesh—one of the world’s most aid-dependent countries, yet the one that has received limited scholarly attention. Against this backdrop, this chapter outlines the aims and objectives of the book, which include assessing Bangladesh’s policy initiatives, donor-government collaboration, and the current status of the implementation of the global aid effectiveness agenda. By analysing policy initiatives, collaborative efforts, and implementation status, the study contributes to the literature on development cooperation and offers actionable insights for both recipient and donors to inform future policy formulation and enactment.