BNP MP demands Bangladesh hike military spending to Tk 1tn

The country needs the money to prepare for self-defence, he says

Barkat Ullah Bulu, member of parliament for the ruling BNP, has demanded an increase in the military allocation in the budget for 2026-27 to Tk 1 trillion to facilitate what he described as the country's “self-defence preparations”.

Taking part in a discussion on the proposed budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year in parliament on Thursday, the Noakhali-3 MP argued that Bangladesh will not fight anyone, “but we must prepare for self-defence.”

Bulu referred to the military spending of Iran and North Korea, saying Bangladesh needs the amount he proposed instead of the current allocation.

The government has proposed allocating nearly Tk 425 billion for the defence ministry for FY 2026-27 whereas the revised budget for the outgoing fiscal year had Tk 406.67 billion.

Despite this, he called the overall budget "pro-people and business-friendly".