Cabinet approves move to turn budget ordinances into law

The cabinet on Tuesday approved proposals to convert two ordinances related to the supplementary budget for the 2024–25 fiscal year and the national budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year into laws.

The approval came at the third meeting of the cabinet held at the secretariat in Dhaka, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani said the cabinet approved the proposal to turn the Appropriation (Supplementary) Ordinance, 2025 into law.

He explained that under Article 91 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, a supplementary financial statement must be presented in parliament if the approved expenditure for a fiscal year becomes insufficient or if spending exceeds the authorised limit.

However, the supplementary budget could not be presented in the Jatiya Sangsad within the stipulated time as the parliament had been dissolved.

“In this situation, the interim government issued the ordinance under Article 93 of the constitution.

The cabinet has now given final approval to convert it into law,” Nasimul Gani said.

The cabinet secretary also said that the proposal to turn the Appropriation Ordinance, 2025 related to the 2025–26 fiscal year budget into law had been approved.

According to Article 87 of the constitution, the annual financial statement outlining government income and expenditure for each fiscal year is supposed to be placed before parliament.

But due to the absence of parliament, it was not possible to present the budget there.

As a result, the government promulgated the ordinance under Article 93 of the constitution, which allows the executive to issue ordinances when parliament is not in session.

With Tuesday’s approval, the government has taken steps to formalise both ordinances into law, ensuring legal continuity for the country’s fiscal management in the absence of a functioning parliament.