BCC unveils Tk 648cr budget without new taxes

BARISHAL, July 30: The Barishal City Corporation (BCC) Administrator Bilkis Akter Jahan Shirin has announced a Tk 647.53 crore budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year without imposing any new taxes in a budget session at the Nagar Bhaban on Thursday afternoon. BCC Chief Executive Officer Md Rezaul Bari was also present at that time. 

Of the total budget, Tk 498 crore has been allocated for development works, while Tk 149 crore has been earmarked for operational expenses.

Speaking at the budget session, the Administrator Bilkis Akter Jahan Shirin said the city’s growing population has increased the demand for civic services, but limited industrialisation has made it difficult to expand the corporation’s own revenue base. Population in the city is increasing steadily. To improve civic services, revenue collection must also increase. However, in the absence of industrialisation, increasing revenue is extremely difficult. 

According to the budget documents, Tk 169.71 crore, or about 23 per cent of the total budget, is expected to come from the corporation’s own revenue sources. Another Tk 310 crore will come from government-funded development projects, Tk 118 crore from government block and special grants, and Tk 29 crore from development partners. The remaining funds will be generated through the city’s water supply services. The corporation also announced a revised budget of Tk 462.86 crore for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

The corporation has also proposed several large-scale projects awaiting government approval. These include a Tk 797 crore project for drainage and waste management, a Tk 769 crore initiative to restore and expand city canals, a Tk 195 crore project to construct a 15-storey city corporation building, a Tk 309 crore climate adaptation programme, a Tk 1,900 crore integrated urban infrastructure development project, and a Tk 533 crore flood control and water-logging mitigation project.