Bangladesh to break tradition with 54th off-parliament budget

From Tajuddin Ahmad’s Tk 7.86 billion budget in a war-ravaged 1972 to a proposed Tk 7.9 trillion in 2025, Bangladesh’s economic journey enters its 54th chapter, as Salehuddin Ahmed prepares to present the budget outside parliament for the first time since the founding finance minister’s era.

In a transformed political reality following the July Uprising, this year’s national budget will be delivered beyond the halls of parliament and through an unprecedented format

At 3pm on Monday, Finance Advisor Salehuddin’s speech will be broadcast live across state-owned BTV and private television networks nationwide.

The 2025–26 budget is set to be passed on Jun 30, with the new fiscal year beginning the next day, Jul 1.

The last off-parliament budget was presented 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.

Under the authority of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, Salehuddin--former governor of Bangladesh Bank--readies his first national budget in a year marked by disruption and uncertainty.

Since independence, 15 people, including finance ministers, economic advisors, and military administrators, have presented a total of 53 budgets under both military and democratic regimes.

The late M Saifur Rahman and Abul Maal Abdul Muhith share the record for the highest number of budgets presented, with 12 each across three separate terms.

During the Awami League’s last four consecutive terms, spanning 15 and a half years, Muhith delivered 10 budgets, followed by five from AHM Mustafa Kamal, and one from Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali.

Under elected governments, budgets were always tabled in parliament, followed by weeks of debate and review before being passed at the end of June.

This year, with no parliament in place, that process is absent.

The budget will be reviewed by the Advisory Council and, once approved, implemented through a presidential ordinance.

Still, certain conventions will be maintained. Salehuddin is scheduled to hold a post-budget press conference the following day to take questions and has announced plans to gather stakeholder feedback throughout June.

The previous budget, for FY2025, was set at Tk 7.97 trillion and presented by Mahmood Ali.

But before it could be fully implemented, the Awami League government was ousted on Aug 5, 2024, through a student-led mass uprising.

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.