The government must prioritise boosting the competitiveness of all industries if it wants to create more jobs, capture a bigger share of global markets, and strengthen the economy.
The government’s target to provide subsidies and incentives amounting to Tk 125,741 crore in fiscal year 2025-26 is creating high pressure on fund mobilisation amid a challenging macroeconomic situation.
A clear sense of direction and strategy for the education system is lacking, as it has been under past political governments.
Whenever the issue of education surfaces in Bangladesh, policymakers across the political spectrum tend to strike a familiar chord. "Education is our top priority," they harp
This budget failed to redefine the role of the state and mark a departure from inequality and patronage.
The government has proposed a 3.55 percent rise in the budget allocation for agriculture, food, livestock and fisheries in the next fiscal year, setting aside Tk 39,620 crore..But agro-economists say the increase is far from sufficient to ensure the country’s long-term food security..<p
Rights activists warn that this rollback threatens to reverse progress and stall efforts toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The proposed budget for 2025-26 fiscal year is at an opportune moment in Bangladesh's economic and political economy.
Just a day after the interim government proposed the national budget and tax measures for fiscal year 2025-26, leading business chambers expressed significant concern that several measures could potentially impede business growth and affect investment.
Says Ashikur Rahman, principal economist of the PRI
In his televised address to the nation, the adviser also proposed changes to duties on different products, which will result in increase and decrease in their prices
Previously, these requirements were mandatory for as many as 43 services.
The proposed national budget for fiscal year 2025-26 does not offer a conducive environment for investment and lacks the direction needed to drive industrial growth, said Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI).
According to budget documents, the total deficit for FY 2025–26 is projected at Tk 221,000 crore.
Since January 2025, the government has also been distributing essential commodities such as lentils and soybean oil among 57 lakh families using “smart family cards” through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.
The funds will go towards allowances, medical care, grants, and rehabilitation.
Grounded in the spirit of the July Uprising, the budget seeks to restore economic stability while fostering a just and sustainable society.
To support this move, the tax deduction at source (TDS) during electricity purchase payments has been reduced to 4 percent from the existing 6 percent
Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed has proposed a Tk 100 crore startup fund in the national budget for the fiscal year (FY) 2025–26 to support emerging entrepreneurs.
