Khalilur warns foreign ministry budget cut may force closure of Bangladeshi embassies

Foreign minister says proposed cuts would hit expatriate services and UN payments

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has warned that Bangladeshi embassies could be forced to shut if parliament approves Opposition-backed proposals to slash the foreign ministry's budget.

Addressing the cut motion on the 16th grants demand for the ministry during the 2026-27 fiscal year in parliament on Tuesday, Khalilur said the proposal would stop services for expatriates and make it impossible to donate to the United Nations.

He said, "If the 16th demand for grants for the ministry is reduced to Tk 1 following the cut motion, our embassies in different countries of the world will have to be closed.

“And the red-green flag, the symbol of our independence and sovereignty, will have to be taken down."

There is a risk of Bangladesh's membership in the United Nations being suspended if it fails to donate to the global body, he warned.

A cut motion proposes reducing the amount of the demand or allocation to Tk 1, through which a lack of confidence or disagreement with the overall policies and activities of a ministry or department is expressed.

The Opposition proposes such “token cuts” to highlight to the public the issue of its disagreement with the budget of a specific sector.

Earlier, Khalilur proposed a Tk 18.44 billion demand for grants for his ministry.

His proposal was opposed by 26 MPs, including several from the opposition bench, who presented the cut motion.

The minister said the proposed amount is not an ordinary expenditure, but a strategic investment to strengthen Bagladesh's position in the international arena.

He, however, said the proposed budget for the foreign ministry is lower than that of other South Asian countries.

A large part of the budget is spent on running Bangladesh's missions abroad, said the minister.

He added that the actual growth rate of expenditure may be even lower due to fluctuations in the exchange rate of foreign currencies against the taka.

An additional Tk 212 million has been allocated to meet the operational expenses of the ministry's four units and 83 missions, said Khalilur.