<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>The cabinet at a special meeting today approved the proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2024-25.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting held in the cabinet room of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finance Minister AH Mahmood Ali, other cabinet ministers and state ministers concerned attended the meeting.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The finance minister is set to unveil the proposed national budget for fiscal 2024-25 this afternoon, after the authentication of the budget by the President.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">AH Mahmood Ali is scheduled to start unveiling the budget involving Taka 797,000 crore with a Taka 265,000 crore Annual Development Programme (ADP).</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The National Economic Council (NEC) already approved the ADP with an outlay of Taka 265,000 crores, keeping the highest allocation of Taka 70, 687.75 crore (26. 67pc of allocation) for the transport and communication sector.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Besides, the NEC approved some Taka 13,288 crore ADP of the autonomous bodies or corporations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, with the Taka 13,288 crore ADP for autonomous bodies or corporations, the total size of ADP for 2024-2025 has stood at Taka 278,288 crore.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the ADP, the total number of projects is 1,321 including 1,133 investment projects, 21 survey projects, 87 technical assistance projects and 80 projects from autonomous bodies and corporations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Local Government Division, among the ministries and divisions, is going to receive the highest allocation of some Tk 38,809 crore (15pc of allocation) in the ADP.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>