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development ($200 million) and building the SASEC Dhirasram inland container depot ($300 million).

Altogether, the projects involve about $1.9 billion, according to the plan shared by the ADB and ERD with journalists on Tuesday.

In 2028, it will fund the modernisation of the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited and establish the National Data Governance Authority ($150 million), the hi-tech park project ($200 million), strengthening of the power distribution system in Cumilla ($300 million) and the health sector digital transformation project ($200 million).

It will provide $150 million to make agriculture in the northwest sustainable and resilient agriculture ($150 million), $250 million to improve the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, $150 million to improve the access road to Chattogram port, $150 million to develop Mirsarai economic zone and $150 million for developing Cox’s Bazar for tourism.

In total, $1.9 billion will be provided in 2028.

The ADB intends to provide $5 billion over five years for IGND.

The IGND, which will be integrated into the strategic framework for fiscals 2026-27 to 2030-31, will later be absorbed into the North-West Dhaka South-East Economic Corridor, which is a 20-year plan involving $80 billion to decongest Dhaka and Chattogram.

Of the $80 billion, $22 billion would go towards water and climate, $17 billion towards energy and power, $9 billion to railways, $7.7 billion to roads, $3.9 billion to logistics and $3.5 billion to ports and inland water terminals.

Once completed, the corridor would add 2 percentage point to the annual GDP growth, create 1 crore jobs over the next decade, support export diversification and contribute 20 percent towards the $1 trillion economy target.

At the event, Chandan Sapkota, country economist of the ADB, said the proposed initiative would require about $4 billion annually, with half of the financing expected from multilateral development banks and development partners, and the remainder from the private sector.

The ADB has already committed $1 billion to the initiative, while another $1 billion is expected from development partners.

Public investment would lead the process in the initial years, while private investment is expected to increase gradually as regulatory reforms, capital market development and investment facilitation measures take effect.

“The larger challenge, however, lies in mobilising private investment. The issue is not money. The issue is bankable projects,” he said, adding that investors would be willing to commit funds if projects offer credible returns.

The government would need to introduce new incentives to draw private investors.

Most of the proposed investments are linked to existing economic zones and growth centres where land has already been acquired, reducing concerns over land availability for private investors.

“There is a substantial amount of unused land in the economic zones. The main requirement for additional land acquisition will be for public infrastructure projects,” he said.

He also highlighted the importance of extending the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) highway network from Rangpur to Banglabandha and Burimari, describing it as a missing link in a regional corridor that already connects neighbouring countries.

He said lessons from both successful and unsuccessful international experiences have been incorporated into the proposed governance structure, noting that strong institutional arrangements are often the deciding factor in whether such initiatives succeed.

At the event, SM Zakaria Huq, additional secretary at the Economic Relations Division, said discussions with development partners would continue to better understand their potential contributions to the initiative.

Referring to private-sector participation, he said an information-sharing session was held with business representatives the previous day, where investors responded positively to the proposal.

“The private sector has shown enthusiasm,” he said.

The ADB and the World Bank maintain formal co-financing arrangements and development partners had expressed strong support for the initiative during discussions held the previous day.