The BNP government is poised to significantly increase education budget for the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year, prioritising human capital development to create a skilled workforce.
The proposed allocation marks a substantial increase of Tk49,400 crore – a 56 per cent jump – compared to the revised budget of the current fiscal year.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury is set to present the national budget today. In the proposal, the education sector has been allocated Tk1,36,606 crore, representing 2 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This is a notable rise from the current year’s revised allocation of Tk87,206 crore, which stands at 1.39 per cent of the GDP. Out of the total amount, Tk1,22,495 crore is earmarked for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.
An additional Tk13,000 crore will be allocated for educational and technical institutions managed by other ministries, including textiles, railway, defence, agriculture, fisheries, and information and communication technology.
Sectoral breakdown
The budget for Ministry of Primary and Mass Education is set at Tk46,737 crore, comprising Tk25,297 crore for operating expenses and Tk21,440 crore for development.
Secondary and Higher Education Division will receive a total of Tk57,001 crore, with Tk32,897 crore for operating costs and Tk24,104 crore for development. Meanwhile, the Technical and Madrasah Education Division has been allocated Tk18,757 crore, split into Tk11,734 crore for operating and Tk7,023 crore for development.
These figures represent a significant recovery from the 2025-26 fiscal year, when the interim government’s revised budget slashed the total education allocation to Tk85,887 crore from an original target of Tk95,644 crore.
Under that revised budget, Primary and Mass Education received Tk31,718 crore, Secondary and Higher Education was given Tk41,753 crore, and Technical and Madrasa Education was allocated Tk12,416 crore.
In the previous 2024-25 fiscal year, total actual expenditure in the sector was Tk71,451 crore. This included Tk25,888 crore for primary and mass education, Tk36,474 crore for secondary and higher education, and Tk9,089 crore for technical and madrasa education.
Focus on development
A key feature of this budget is that the rate of increase for development spending is higher than that of operating costs.
For Primary and Mass Education, the Annual Development Programme (ADP) allocation is set at Tk21,441 crore, a massive increase from the current year’s original budget of Tk11,098 crore and its revised target of Tk8,061 crore.
For context, the actual expenditure in 2023-24 was Tk7,429 crore.
The Technical and Madrasa Education Division will see its ADP allocation rise to Tk6,723 crore, compared to the current year’s original Tk3,660 crore and revised Tk3,340 crore. In 2023-24, actual expenditure for this division was just Tk1,091 crore.
The Secondary and Higher Education Division’s ADP has been set at Tk24,354 crore. This is a sharp rise from the 2024-25 original budget of Tk19,113 crore and its revised allocation of Tk9,690 crore. The actual expenditure in 2023-24 stood at Tk6,823 crore.
Expectations and oversight
Despite the increase, some experts feel the allocation falls short of political promises. Before returning to power after two decades, the BNP pledged in its election manifesto to allocate 5 per cent of the GDP to education.
Party leaders have stated that this goal will be implemented in phases.
Rasheda K Chowdhury, former adviser to the caretaker government, told TIMES of Bangladesh that while she understood the 5 per cent target could not be met instantly, she had expected at least 2.5 per cent of the GDP this year.
“We hope that the education budget will reach 5 per cent of the GDP by next year or the year after,” she said. Rasheda also urged the government to ensure strict monitoring to prevent corruption, irregularities, and political influence in budget implementation.
