The proposed national budget for FY2025–26 is not revolutionary, but it is both business- and people-friendly, claimed Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, Economic Adviser to the caretaker government.
He made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon at a post-budget press conference held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka.
“We presented the budget before the nation, not the parliament, because our commitment is to the people. We did not come to hold power, but to take responsibility,” Dr. Salehuddin stated.
“The economy was on the edge of a cliff, in ICU. With everyone’s support, we’ve managed to bring in some stability.”
He acknowledged that comprehensive reforms are not possible within the tenure of the current government. “We’ll implement what we can and leave a footprint for the next administration,” he added.
Dr. Salehuddin emphasized the pragmatic approach of the budget, citing limited resources but high public expectations. “Our focus is not just on GDP growth numbers, but on easing people’s lives,” he said. “The budget is designed for three years. It’s not entirely conventional, but not overly ambitious either. It contains elements of innovation.”
Planning Adviser Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud commented, “We inherited a mess. It has taken a lot of effort to clean it up.”
