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Published : 12 Jun 2026, 04:48 PM
Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said the proposed budget for the next fiscal year is designed to include all citizens despite the country's resource constraints.
On Friday, Khosru defended the Tk 9.38 trillion spending plan he presented in parliament a day earlier.
The budget, unveiled around four months after the BNP-led government took office, seeks to create what he described as an inclusive economic framework.
“We had to prepare an inclusive budget for everyone,” Khosru said. “For the past one and a half decades, our economy was a patronage economy. It was an economy for a few people. Certain individuals and groups received special advantages.
“But we want to ensure participation from everyone in our economic vision. From that perspective, this budget has been prepared for all within our limited resources.”
He spoke at a press conference at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium near the Secretariat following a budget presented four months after the BNP swept to power in a landslide victory.
Khosru arrived at the press conference at 3:10pm. Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan sat on his right, and Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood on his left.
Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain, Agriculture Minister Mohammed Amin Ur Rashid, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon, and State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki were also in attendance, alongside Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman, NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan, Prime Minister's Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, and Prime Minister's Advisor Mahdi Amin.
The finance minister said, "This year's budget is a different budget. It comes about in a different context. The ideas and philosophies are different. Major changes have taken place within the country in the past decade and a half. Something or other is constantly happening in the international arena. One incident follows after another. Now the war in the West Asia has started.
“In such a global context, our challenges are even greater. And it is in this context that this budget has been presented, taking into account the journey of a democratic, humane and inclusive economy while keeping everyone alive.”
Highlighting the country's limited resources, Khosru said: “That is why we have repeatedly said for all our expenses, behind every expense, behind every project, we are fixing four ‘criteria’.
“One of them is ‘value for money’, one is ‘return on investment’, one is ‘job creation’ and one is 'environmental stability'… on the basis of these four ‘criteria’, we will clearly outline all the projects in the coming days.”
Then, inviting questions from journalists, he said, “We are coming here to answer your questions. That is why we believe that the main responsibility of a democratically elected government is accountability and to be accountable to the public.”
