The proposed budget for FY2026-27 indicates a welcome shift in language to back up the government’s electoral promise to gradually increase public investment in education.

The proposed budget for FY2026-27 indicates a welcome shift in language to back up the government’s electoral promise to gradually increase public investment in education.

Budgets often reveal more through their tensions than through their promises. The proposed budget for FY2026-27 is no exception.

Budgets often reveal more through their tensions than through their promises. The proposed budget for FY2026-27 is no exception.

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) yesterday said while the proposed budget for fiscal year 2026-27 is larger than previous ones, its success will depend on the government’s ability to implement it at a time when the economy is attempting to recover.

The government is committed to shifting Bangladesh from a debt-driven to an investment-led economy, as attracting private investment is essential for sustainable growth, said Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday termed the proposed national budget for fiscal year 2026-27 “unrealistic, overly ambitious and conducive to looting”, alleging that it falls short of public expectations and would encourage corruption while hurting investment and employment.

The government must focus on implementation, efficient spending

He said payments to power producers cannot be halted immediately

NCP convener says Bangladesh’s current revenue system can't support the govt’s ambitious budget goal

The government has considered value for money and return on investment in the budgetary allocations

Ordinary taxpayers may see the move as a reward for corruption and tax evasion, it says

Party says proposed budget falls short of public expectations

CPD said the government's inflation target of 7.5 percent would be difficult to achieve unless public spending translates into higher investment, employment and output

The proposed national budget for FY2026-27 comes at a time when the economy is seeking not only growth but also stability, confidence and direction.

Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury’s first budget speech as finance minister performed a delicate, dual function: it read as an indictment of the old economic order, and served as a blueprint for its replacement. Come July 1, Khosru will have to fix the system -- and run his own playbook.

For years, the country boasted of being “Digital Bangladesh”, and yet beneath the slogans, the country’s telecom and technology sectors were often weighed down by high taxes, regulatory uncertainty and policies that made long-term investment difficult.

In its first budget in two decades, the BNP government yesterday boosted allocations for education and health and significantly expanded social safety programmes, reflecting its key electoral pledges.

The proposed budget for FY2026-27 lays out an ambitious package of tax incentives, duty concessions and policy reforms aimed at attracting investment, diversifying industry and lowering the cost of doing business.

The proposed budget offers modest relief to low-income groups, while businesses and domestic industries can breathe easier as they have been spared major tax hikes.