The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has crossed the historic Tk4 lakh crore revenue collection mark for the first time, Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury announced on Monday, hailing the achievement as evidence that the government's reform drive is beginning to restore momentum to an economy emerging from a prolonged period of stagnation.
Delivering his winding-up speech on the proposed FY2026-27 budget in Parliament, the minister said sweeping measures undertaken during the past four months had strengthened revenue administration, improved fiscal management and laid the groundwork for achieving the ambitious targets set for the coming financial year.
He described the budget not merely as an annual accounting exercise but as a comprehensive blueprint for economic recovery, institutional renewal, higher investment, employment generation and social justice.
"We want to build a Bangladesh where the benefits of development reach everyone, where merit and hard work are rewarded, where investment, production and employment drive the economy, and where every citizen can move confidently towards the future," he told lawmakers.
Chowdhury said the government's economic agenda is anchored in what he termed the "3R framework"�"Recovery and Stabilisation, Restoration, and Reconstruction for Acceleration�"designed to revive an economy weakened by years of policy failures, financial irregularities, capital flight, exchange-rate distortions and external geopolitical shocks.
He reiterated the government's commitment to restoring fiscal discipline through more efficient public spending, prudent debt management and a sustainable budget deficit. Under the proposed budget, development expenditure will rise to 33.7 per cent of total spending in FY2026-27 from 27.27 per cent in the outgoing fiscal year, while operating expenditure will fall from 72.73 per cent to 66.30 per cent.
The minister said the shift reflects a deliberate strategy to channel a larger share of public resources into productive sectors capable of generating long-term economic returns, adding that development spending would continue to increase in the years ahead as recurrent expenditure is gradually reduced.
Addressing concerns over public debt, he said Bangladesh inherited a significant financial burden, with total government liabilities reaching Tk21.44 lakh crore, equivalent to 38.61 per cent of GDP, at the end of FY2024-25. Domestic debt accounted for Tk11.95 lakh crore, or 21.51 per cent of GDP, while external obligations stood at Tk9.49 lakh crore, representing 17.10 per cent of national output.
Although the current administration inherited these liabilities, it remains responsible for servicing both principal and interest payments, placing considerable pressure on revenue management, he noted. The government, he said, is pursuing a strategy to restore debt sustainability by shifting from a debt-driven growth model to one led by investment, productivity and innovation.
As part of that transition, bank borrowing will be reduced by Tk6,000 crore in the next fiscal year, while alternative financing mechanisms, including bonds, asset securitisation and equity financing, will be expanded. Selected state-owned enterprises are also expected to enter the capital market to deepen long-term financing opportunities.
