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Published : 12 Jun 2026, 12:46 AM
The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) says the new budget is positive in intent but lacks any clear announcement on how it will be implemented, calling that the biggest challenge ahead.
The private research organisation's Executive Director Fahmida Khatun shared immediate budget reaction at the organisation's Dhanmondi office on Thursday night, joined by CPD Distinguished Fellow Mustafizur Rahman and other staff.
She said several targets in the proposed 2026-27 budget, including revenue collection, should have been “more realistic”.
"If targets are not realistic, implementation becomes impossible. And when implementation fails, budget discipline breaks down -- uncertainty grows over where money will come from and where it will go.”
The current economic situation calls not just for growth but for stability, confidence, and clear direction, she added.
"The hard task right now is to restore macroeconomic stability on one hand and revive employment and investment on the other. Bringing down high inflation must come first."
The budget sets a 6.5 percent GDP growth target alongside a 7.5 percent inflation ceiling.
Fahmida argued that pushing growth up from the current 5 percent base to nearly 6.5 percent requires specific prerequisites, including stimulating private investment, boosting industrial output, and accelerating export dynamics.
She explained that achieving this growth path will be highly challenging given structural financial sector weaknesses paired with prevailing energy and fuel shortages.
With average inflation currently running at around 9.5 percent, bringing it down to 7.5 percent will also require meeting certain conditions, she said.
Stabilising the exchange rate, improving food and agricultural supply chains, ensuring fuel supply, and properly implementing monetary policy are all necessary.
Controlling production costs, raising productivity, and directing investment to the right places will also be essential, she added.
On revenue, Fahmida said Bangladesh has historically struggled to meet collection targets, with high figures set every year that go unmet.
The 2026-27 budget projects total revenue of Tk 6.95 trillion -- 10.2 percent of GDP -- of which Tk 6.04 trillion is to come through the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and Tk 910 billion from other sources.
"This is a massive leap. If the revenue target is not met, the government will have to borrow from banks, which will push up inflation," she warned.
She said the budget reflects several priorities from the BNP's election manifesto, including democratising the economy, job creation, institutional reform, private sector-led growth, and good governance.
"But there is no announcement in the budget on how any of this will actually be implemented," she said.
