Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Monday unveiled what he described as a comprehensive roadmap to steer Bangladesh from economic fragility to stability and ultimately to sustainable prosperity, pledging that the benefits of growth would be shared by all sections of society.
Speaking to reporters, the minister said the government's foremost challenge is to stabilise an economy battered by inflationary pressures, structural weaknesses and continuing global economic uncertainties before laying the foundations for a stronger and more resilient growth trajectory.
The Finance Minister vowed to tame inflation, rebuild economic foundations and ensure growth reaches every citizen as government tightens spending and expands social protection
“The government's immediate priority is to stabilise the country's fragile economy and subsequently steer it towards sustained prosperity, while ensuring that the benefits of economic growth reach every segment of society,” he said.
In a clear signal of the administration's economic strategy, Khasru said the proposed national budget has been crafted as a transition blueprint�"from crisis management to recovery and from recovery to long-term prosperity.
“Our top priority is economic restructuring. We must address deep-rooted structural weaknesses while confronting inflation and external economic shocks. Once stability is achieved, we will move decisively towards prosperity,” he said.
The finance minister stressed that the budget was designed to leave no one behind, with targeted allocations and programmes aimed at improving living standards across all segments of society.
“This budget identifies specific beneficiary groups and outlines concrete initiatives for them. No citizen has been left out. Every section of society has been taken into consideration,” he said.
Addressing concerns over the implementation of the country's largest-ever budget, Khasru acknowledged that the central challenge remains transforming a fragile economy into a stable and prosperous one. However, he expressed confidence that the government's policy reforms and fiscal measures would help restore economic momentum on a stronger footing.
Earlier in the day, the minister attended the fourth meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Family Card Distribution at the Finance Ministry in the Secretariat. The meeting reviewed efforts to strengthen social safety-net programmes and improve support mechanisms for vulnerable households.
During a discussion in Parliament on the supplementary budget for FY2025-26, Khasru said the government is simultaneously pursuing fiscal discipline and social protection, reducing wasteful expenditure, cutting non-essential spending and promoting greater efficiency in public administration while honouring electoral commitments.
“The government has undertaken a range of effective initiatives to revive the economy and improve people's living standards,” he told lawmakers.
Highlighting mounting fiscal pressures, particularly in the power and energy sectors, the minister said subsidy adjustments had become unavoidable amid global economic headwinds. At the same time, the government has expanded welfare initiatives, including Family Cards, Farmer Cards and honorarium-based social security programmes for imams, priests and muezzins.
“These programmes are vital for protecting vulnerable groups. As a result, certain expenditure adjustments and deficit management measures were required in the supplementary budget,” he said.
Khasru noted that total expenditure in the revised budget for the current fiscal year has been reduced slightly to Tk 7.88 trillion from the originally proposed Tk 7.9 trillion, largely due to slower implementation of development projects, particularly the Annual Development Programme (ADP), during the pre-election period.
The revised budget deficit has been estimated at Tk 2 trillion, equivalent to around 3 per cent of GDP, a level the government considers manageable while maintaining economic stability.
According to the minister, allocations for 27 ministries, departments and agencies have been increased by Tk 561 billion, while spending by 35 ministries and departments has been reduced by Tk 593.48 billion as part of a broader effort to reallocate resources more efficiently.
Khasru also underscored the importance of measuring the effectiveness of welfare spending, particularly under the Family Card programme.
“Providing assistance alone is not enough. We must assess how much the lives of beneficiaries are changing and whether the support is genuinely improving their living standards,” he said.
