The Government of Bangladesh and the Ownership and Alignment Principles: Policymaking, Implementation, and Impact

This chapter explores how the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has implemented the ownership and alignment principles of the international aid effectiveness agenda. The analysis incorporates comprehensive planning frameworks of the country—including Five-Year Plans (FYPs), Perspective Plan, Medium-Term Budget Framework (MTBF), and Annual Development Programme (ADP)—as well as its policy coordination structures such as the Development Effectiveness Wing (DEW), the older Aid Effectiveness Unit (AEU). It documents Bangladesh’s key reform efforts in public finance management (PFM), procurement, and institutional capacity-building to facilitate donor alignment with country systems. Noteworthy initiatives include the Aid Information Management System (AIMS), Development Finance Assessment (DFA), and training programmes for operationalization of these reforms. However, the chapter finds that the real impact of these initiatives is hindered by a lack of political commitment, donor reluctance to use country systems, and inadequate awareness among and capacity constraints of the government officials. It also asserts that aid and development management remains fragmented in Bangladesh, with inconsistent integration between planning, budgeting, and project implementation. Additionally, the National Policy on Development Cooperation (NPDC), though drafted, remains unadopted due to the fear of international fund loss. The chapter concludes that while Bangladesh remains committed to the aid effectiveness agenda, substantial gaps persist in its effective implementation at the local level. Remarkably, institutional challenges, lack of mutual accountability, and the absence of an enforceable aid policy continues to undermine the intended leadership role envisioned by the ownership and alignment principles.