Nineteen years ago, BNP finance minister M Saifur Rahman placed a national budget of Tk 69,740 crore for fiscal year 2006-07. Three governments have since come and gone, and BNP has now returned to power through a national election.

In an interview, Sayema Haque Bidisha, a professor at the economics department and also a former pro-vice-chancellor of Dhaka University,

Ahead of the fiscal year 2026-27 (FY27) national budget, the government faces mounting fiscal pressure amid high inflation and low investment at a time when the global geopolitical situation remains volatile, said Prof Mustafizur Rahman, distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

Bangladesh’s next national budget should focus on strengthening economic resilience rather than increasing spending, said Zahid Hussain, former lead economist at the World Bank’s Dhaka office.

Climate budgeting in Bangladesh must become more knowledge-based and technically stronger to help the country access global climate financing more effectively, said Sharmind Neelormi, professor in the Department of Economics at Jahangirnagar University.

The government’s ambition to build a trillion-dollar economy by 2034 will remain out of reach without urgent reforms in banking, taxation, and business costs, as the country’s current economic structure is too weak to sustain the level of growth required, a leading economist said.

Planning Division proposes Tk 3 lakh crore development budget for FY27

About Tk 35,000 crore is likely to be allocated in the upcoming fiscal year’s budget for the partial implementation of the new pay scale for government officials, pensioners and MPO-listed teachers and staff.

Businesses yesterday called for structural reforms in the tax system to reduce the cost of doing business, ease compliance burdens, and improve investment competitiveness.

The ongoing geopolitical tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran have again exposed how vulnerable the international energy markets are to conflicts and strategic rivalries.

The 2026-27 budget comes at a critical moment for the country.