Padma Barrage, Teesta master plan approved

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has announced that the ECNEC has approved the Padma Barrage project, a major initiative aimed at transforming agriculture, water management and the environment in the country’s southwestern region.

The project will be implemented over the next seven years and expected to directly benefit around 37 percent of the population, covering 120 upazilas across 19 districts in four divisions. While presenting the proposed FY2026-27 budget in Parliament on Thursday, the finance minister also said the government has taken steps to implement the Teesta Master Plan to improve livelihoods and accelerate development in the northern region.

The proposed budget totals Tk9.38 lakh crore, equivalent to 13.7 percent of GDP. The government has set a GDP growth target of 6.5 percent and an inflation target of 7.5 percent for the next fiscal year.
The budget deficit is projected at Tk2.43 lakh crore, or 3.6 percent of GDP, with a significant portion expected to be financed from domestic sources.

Compared with the revised FY2025-26 budget of Tk7.88 lakh crore, the proposed budget represents an increase of Tk1.5 lakh crore. The budget also includes changes in taxes, duties, VAT and surcharges on several products, which may affect prices and the overall cost of living in the coming year.