Debt per head hits Tk1.29 lakh

Bangladesh’s per capita government debt stood at Tk1,29,239 as of March 31, 2026, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury told Parliament on Sunday, as he disclosed that the country had taken $81.83 billion in foreign loans between 2010 and June 2024.

The finance minister said the government was prioritising stronger revenue collection, more efficient public-finance management and disciplined debt management to contain the burden on citizens.

“An economy cannot run on emotion; it must run on law,” he said while answering a supplementary question from Noakhali-6 MP Abdul Hannan Masud in the parliament.

Replying to a question from Kushtia-1 lawmaker Reza Ahmed during the question-and-answer session, Khosru said the per capita debt figure was based on the latest available data as of March 31.

Earlier, responding to a starred question from ruling party lawmaker Lutfur Rahman of Cox’s Bazar-3, he said Bangladesh had borrowed $81.83 billion in foreign loans from 2010 to June 2024.

During the same period, the government paid $17.11 billion in principal and $6.04 billion in interest on foreign loans, bringing total debt-servicing payments to $23.15 billion.

The Sunday sitting began in the afternoon with Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal in the chair.

Focus on debt management
Khosru said the government was pursuing market-based and disciplined borrowing and debt-management policies to reduce refinancing risks.

Measures have also been taken to develop the domestic debt market, broaden the investor base and make the government securities market more effective and competitive, he said.

The government is maintaining prescribed limits on additional borrowing through savings certificates while working to align their interest or profit rates with market conditions and prevailing rates.

“These measures will help reduce dependence on relatively high-cost borrowing, keep the government’s overall interest expenditure under control and create a more balanced debt portfolio,” Khosru said.

The minister’s disclosure comes as the government faces the challenge of balancing development financing and debt servicing with efforts to strengthen revenue mobilisation and maintain macroeconomic stability.