‘This budget is for everyone’

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has described the proposed national budget for fiscal year 2026-27 as an “inclusive budget”, saying it seeks to bring people from all walks of life into the country’s economic mainstream despite existing resource constraints.

The minister unveiled the Tk 9.38 lakh crore budget in parliament on Thursday and elaborated on its objectives at a post-budget press conference held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka on Friday.

“This budget is for everyone,” Amir Khasru said. “We have limitations in resources, but within those limits we have tried to include all classes and professions. No one has been left outside.”

He said the government had taken steps to integrate groups that had previously remained outside the formal economic framework and to foster a more participatory and democratic economic system.

Reflecting on the country’s economic model over the past one and a half decades, the finance minister said economic opportunities had often been concentrated among a limited number of beneficiaries.

“For many years, economic opportunities were limited to a select few. Our goal now is to ensure broader participation in economic activities so that everyone becomes part of the country’s growth journey,” he said.

Amir Khasru added that accountability and transparency remain fundamental responsibilities of a democratic government and that the administration is committed to maintaining fiscal discipline and openness in public financial management.

Addressing government borrowing, the minister said the proposed budget envisages a reduction in domestic bank borrowing by approximately Tk 4,000 crore to Tk 5,000 crore compared with the previous fiscal year.

“This reduction is intended to set a new trend in public financing. If sustained, it would allow more bank funds to flow into private-sector investments, boosting production, employment and overall economic expansion,” he said.

He stressed that the private sector must play a stronger role as the principal driver of economic growth and noted that the government aims to maintain a healthier balance between public and private borrowing.

Finance Secretary Khairuzzaman Mozumder said the government’s bank borrowing target for the current fiscal year stood at Tk 1.18 lakh crore but has been reduced to Tk 1.12 lakh crore in the proposed budget.

According to the finance secretary, the reduction has been made possible through alternative financing arrangements, including the recent issuance of a Tk 5,500 crore Sukuk bond, which attracted investor subscriptions worth Tk 72,500 crore.

He said the government is now exploring additional market-based financing instruments, including green bonds and orange bonds, to deepen the capital market and reduce reliance on traditional debt financing.

The post-budget press conference began at 3:10pm and was attended by several senior members of the government. Alongside the finance minister were Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan and Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmud Tuku.

Other attendees included Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain, Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon, State Minister for Planning Jonayed Saki, Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin, ICT Adviser Rehan Asif Asad, Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, Cabinet Secretary Dr Nasimul Ghani, Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman, National Board of Revenue Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan, and Special Assistant on Investment and Capital Market Affairs Tanvir Ghani.