The interim government is set to announce the national budget for the fiscal year 2025–26 today, with an overall outlay of approximately Tk 7.9 lakh crore.
Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed will present the budget live at 3:00 PM across television and radio platforms.
This will be the first budget under the interim government formed on August 8, 2024, following the July mass uprising that led to the ouster of the Awami League regime.
The proposed budget is Tk 7,000 crore less than the original outlay for FY2024–25, but higher by Tk 46,000 crore compared to its revised estimate.
Titled ‘Budget for Ending Discriminations,’ the financial blueprint focuses on easing inflation, enhancing social safety nets, and preparing for the country’s graduation from LDC status in 2026. Revenue collection has been targeted at Tk 5.6 lakh crore.
The fiscal plan comes amid challenges including high inflation, unemployment, rising poverty, and sluggish investments.
Political uncertainty, regional tensions, the Rohingya crisis, and climate change remain pressing concerns.
However, macroeconomic conditions have improved with stable exchange rates, rising forex reserves, increased remittances, and near double-digit export growth.
The global commodity market is also forecasted to remain favourable, with the World Bank projecting price declines in 2025.
The Annual Development Programme (ADP) has been trimmed to Tk 2.3 lakh crore, focusing only on economically viable projects.
Efforts are underway to improve project implementation quality while managing the growing non-development expenditure, projected at around Tk 4.8 lakh crore. Interest payments alone will consume a quarter of this amount.
To address cost-of-living pressures, the interim government may allocate Tk 7,000 crore for dearness allowances to public employees.
About Tk 1.5 lakh crore in external loans and Tk 1.21 lakh crore from domestic sources are expected to bridge the budget deficit, estimated at 3.5% of GDP.
The finance bill is expected to be promulgated after its approval in the advisory council meeting scheduled for June 22.
