The government has proposed an allocation of Tk20,164 crore for the science and information technology sector in the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year budget, marking a significant increase from the original budget of the current fiscal year, according to budget documents.
An analysis of the draft budget speech and Finance Bill 2026 obtained by TIMES, together with the official budget summary, suggests that while the proposed allocation is slightly lower than the current fiscal year’s revised budget of Tk20,658 crore, it represents a substantial rise from the original budget of Tk15,013 crore.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, actual expenditure in the sector stood at Tk10,630 crore. Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury is set to place the Tk9.38 lakh crore national budget for FY2026-27 on Thursday.
The largest portion of the allocation goes to the Ministry of Science and Technology, which has been proposed Tk18,115 crore for the upcoming fiscal year. Of this, Tk711 crore is for operating expenditure and Tk17,404 crore for development expenditure.
In the current fiscal year’s revised budget, the ministry’s allocation was Tk17,992 crore. Actual expenditure in 2024-25 was Tk9,245 crore.
The Information and Communication Technology Division, however, has seen a decline in its proposed allocation. The division is set to receive Tk2,049 crore in the proposed budget, down from Tk2,866 crore in the current fiscal year’s revised budget.
Of this, Tk299 crore has been allocated for operating expenditure and Tk1,750 crore for development. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, actual expenditure for the division totalled Tk1,445 crore (Tk219 crore operating and Tk1,226 crore development).
The total allocation of Tk20,164 crore for the science and IT sector will be spent on implementing government activities in research, innovation, nuclear energy, space technology, and digital infrastructure development, according to budget documents.
