According to the Allocation of Business among the Different Ministries and Divisions (Schedule 1 of the Rules of Business, 1996) the functions of ERD are as follows:
1. Assessment, mobilization, negotiation and allocation of all multilateral and bilateral economic aid for implementation of development projects under Annual Development Plan and Five Year Plan;
2. Examination and scrutiny of proposals for foreign aid (Loans, grants, etc.) received from Ministries/Divisions for allocation and identification of sources thereof;
3. Mobilization, negotiation and allocation of external assistance relating to food and commodity assistance from bilateral and multilateral sources;
4. Co-ordination and processing for approval of all technical assistance programs including assessment of requirement of negotiation with bilateral donors and multilateral agencies;
5. Policies and co-ordination of matters relating to employment of Bangladeshi nationals as experts and consultants in aided projects;
6. Policies and procedures for appointment of expatriate consultants and technical assistance experts;
7. Guidelines and procedures for tendering involving funds provided under external aid;
8. Co-ordination, review and monitoring of the utilization of foreign aid;
9. Foreign debt management including debt profiling and budgeting, debt servicing and maintenance of accounts thereof;
10. Matters relating to Annual meeting of Bangladesh Aid Group including preparations therefore and follow up action;
11. Foreign exchange budgeting (other than cash foreign exchange budgeting) in respect of development imports including bridge financing for project/ commodity aid;
12. External economic relations with international development agencies like-
(a) World Bank /IDA and IFC;
(b) Asian Development Bank (ADB);
(c) United Nations Development Prograrnme (UNDP);
(d) Other United Nations Agencies like UNICEF, UNCDF, ESCAP, ECOSOC, WHO , FAO , IFAD, ILO, UNEPA, UNIDO, UNV;
(e) Islamic Development Bank (IDB);
(f) Commonwealth matters in respect of -
(i) Finance Ministers' Conference;
(ii) Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC);
(g) OPEC fund for International Development;
(h) Colombo Plan;
13. All international agreements involving financial economic and technical co-operation: Joint Commission/Joint Economic• Commission, Joint Economic Committee, Economic and Technical Co-operation Agreements, etc., dealing predominantly with economic and financial issues;
14. Liaison with Resident Missions of Multilateral Agencies and bilateral donor countries;
15. Administration of Economic Wing of Bangladesh Missions abroad and appointment of officers and staff thereof;
16. External Economic Policy : Matters relating to economic and technical cooperation between developing countries and between developed and developing countries, specially issues of development finance, transfer of resources, external debt technology transfer;
17. Preparation of briefs and materials on financial and economic questions relating to Bangladesh's participation in the UN and allied organizations, Commonwealth Conference, Non-allied Conference, Organization of Islamic Conference, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), etc.;
18. Fellowship and Foundations:
a) Programming and Management of fellowships, scholarship and foreign training offers from bilateral and multilateral sources including liaison with Asia Foundation, Ford Foundation, British Council, IRDC and ADC;
b) Liaison with Allocation Committee, Selection Committee VII particularly Ministry of Establishment and other Ministry/Division concerned;
c) Offer of technical assistance by Bangladesh;
19. Secretariat administration including financial matters;
20. Administration and control of subordinate offices and organization (if any) under this Division;
21. Liaison with International Organizations and matters relating to treaties and agreements with other countries and world bodies relating to subjects allocated to this Division;
22. All laws on subjects allotted to this Division.
23. Inquiries and statistics on any of the subjects allotted to this Division
24. Fees in respect of any of the subjects allotted to this Division except fees taken in courts
25. PRS follow-up actions, AID harmonization and its effectiveness and related donor coordination.