A decision on this matter may be taken on December 22 at a meeting expected to be attended by the chief adviser

The council of advisers today approved the national budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026

Rights activists warn that this rollback threatens to reverse progress and stall efforts toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed yesterday described the budget for the new fiscal year as “realistic, implementable, and pragmatic”, saying it aims to stabilise the economy.

If you're planning to import cheap lipstick into Bangladesh anytime soon, think again. The country's interim government, in its latest budget, has quietly declared war on undervalued imports with a series of oddly specific tweaks to customs rules. Among the victims: chocolate bars, lipsticks, eye shadow, and -- wait for it -- inflatable toys.

The positive objectives laid out in the proposed national budget for fiscal 2025–26 are not backed by measures, said the Centre for Policy Dialogue.

The liquidity crisis in the sector worsened significantly in 2024, with only 57 percent of insurance claims being settled,

Around a dozen banks are currently struggling to repay depositors, eroding public trust

Here’s to hoping that the interim government initiates targeted and critical reforms in FY2026 to improve budget implementation

Say economists about budget

Despite high hopes, the budget did not introduce any new initiatives aimed at improving migrant workers' welfare, standard of living, healthcare, or security

In a historic move, Bangladesh’s national budget has, for the first time, pledged institutional recognition for women’s unpaid and unacknowledged caregiving and household work.

Although the national parliamentary election is slated to be held within June next year, the allocation for the Election Commission (EC) in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2025-26 has been set at Tk 2,956 crore — significantly lower than what was spent in the previous election year.

In the budget for FY26, the government has proposed reducing import duties on certain goods and amending trade rules to enhance competitiveness in preparation for the country’s impending graduation from the list of least developed countries (LDCs).

Despite pledging special attention to education and health, the government has proposed only slight increases in allocations for both sectors in the national budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025–26.

The efforts to combat inflation are inadequate, somewhat on an ad hoc basis.

National budget FY26: Tk 790,000cr

Budget FY26: What does it mean for you?

The budget for FY26 has drawn strong criticism from business leaders who say it lacks a clear roadmap for improving the investment climate, bolstering industrial competitiveness, and implementing overdue reforms in the banking sector.

High inflation has become the bane of low-income people’s existence for the better part of the past two years as spiralling prices have dramatically eaten away at their purchasing power.