Stakeholders express disappointment over proposed allocation

Stakeholders in Bangladesh’s cultural sector have expressed disappointment over the modest financial allocation in the proposed 2026-27 National Budget, viewing the increase as insufficient given the overall expansion of the financial budget.

The government has proposed an allocation of Tk 826 crore for the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in the national budget for the 2026-27 financial year, up Tk 2 crore from the revised allocation of Tk 824 crore for the current financial year.

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury placed the proposed allocation while presenting the Tk 9.38 lakh crore National Budget in the Parliament on Thursday.

Of the total allocation, Tk 484.91 crore has been earmarked for operating expenditure and Tk 340.84 crore for the Annual Development Programme.

The proposed budget includes a new project, titled ‘Creative Hub’, aimed at promoting the creative economy.

The project envisages a central creative hub in Purbachal featuring a cultural stage, bookstore, library, cineplex, cafeteria and handicraft display and sales centre.

Regional hubs will also be established at district and upazila Shilpakala Academies and Shishu Academies.

The government has initially allocated Tk 300 crore for the project and plans to raise an additional Tk 500 crore from Bangladesh Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund.

Cultural organisations, however, expressed disappointment over the proposed allocation.

Bangladeshi Sangskritikkarme Sangha General Secretary Khondoker Shah Alam said the budget was ‘unexpected and unacceptable’, alleging that it fell short of the government’s commitment to the cultural sector.

The organisation urged the government to allocate at least 1 per cent of the national budget to culture.

Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi also criticised the allocation, saying it merely continued previous spending trends and was inadequate to revitalise the country’s cultural sector.

In a statement, the organisation said the poor condition of district-level Shilpakala Academies, including damaged auditoriums, faulty sound systems, inadequate lighting and shortages of government staff, remained unaddressed.

It also regretted that its long-standing demand to expand Shilpakala Academy activities to the upazila level had been ignored.

Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation Secretary General Kamal Bayezid described the increase as nominal and said the proposed allocation fell well below UNESCO’s recommended benchmark of allocating 1 per cent of the national budget to the cultural sector.