Finance Advisor Salehuddin unveils Tk 7.9tn national budget for FY26

Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed has begun presenting the Tk 7.9 trillion national budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

The advisor began delivering his speech at 3pm on Monday.

As no parliament is in session, the interim finance minister's speech is being broadcast on the state-run BTV, Bangladesh Betar, and other private channels.

According to the finance advisor, the budget is somewhat reform-oriented. The proposed budget attempts to put in place a sustainable system that extends the benefits of development to everyone instead of limiting them to a select few.

The last budget presented outside parliament was in 2008 under the military-backed caretaker government.

On Jun 9 that year -- also a Monday -- the then economic advisor AB Mirza Md Azizul Islam announced a Tk 999.62 billion budget for 2008–09.

This is the first budget under the interim government led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, which took power after the previous Awami League administration was ousted in the July Uprising.

Eleven months since the interim government took power, the finance advisor is presenting a budget that is Tk 70 billion slimmer than the original budget for the current fiscal year.

If finalised, this would mark the first time since independence that the size of the proposed budget is smaller than the previous fiscal year’s plan. The figure is also 12.65 percent of the GDP (gross domestic product).

This is also the first budget presented by Salehuddin, who served as the governor of Bangladesh Bank nearly a decade and a half ago. The finance advisor said that the budget aims to keep the outlay small to reduce the size of the budget and match current economic realities.

The budget also includes plans to try to provide "relief" to low-income people after a year roiled by protests and economic disruptions.

Many social security programmes like elderly allowance, widow's allowance, distress allowance, and disability allowance will remain, although the amount of the allowance and the number of beneficiaries will "increase" slightly.

The government also believes in a "need" for an extensive system for the rehabilitation of those involved and affected by the July Uprising.

Since there is no parliament, the president will sign the budget ordinance on Jun 30, providing the final approval.

However, many parts of the budget, especially tax and customs-related issues, take effect from the moment the speech is delivered on Monday.