For the first time in 19 years, the BNP government is set to present a national budget in Parliament, following its majority win in the 13th parliamentary election.
Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, under the leadership of Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman, will place the FY2026‑27 budget around 3pm Thursday.
In 1972, Bangladesh’s first Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad inaugurated the country’s budget journey with a Tk786 crore plan. Following that path, Amir Khosru will now present the nation’s 56th budget, with an outlay of Tk938,000 crore.
The proposal is scheduled for passage on 30 June, with the new fiscal year beginning 1 July.
The last BNP government budget was tabled in FY2006‑07 by then Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman during Khaleda Zia’s tenure as prime minister.
This year’s presentation comes against a changed political backdrop following the July 2024 uprising. Last year, under the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed announced the FY2024‑25 budget outside Parliament via state broadcaster BTV.
Budgets have also been presented outside Parliament before — notably in 2008, when the army‑backed caretaker government of Fakhruddin Ahmed unveiled a Tk99,962 crore plan for FY2008‑09 through Finance Adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam.
Since the country’s independence, 16 finance ministers or designated officials including advisers and military administrators have presented 55 budgets.
The record for most budgets, 12 each, belongs to the late finance ministers M Saifur Rahman and Abul Maal Abdul Muhith.
After Ziaur Rahman assumed power in 1976‑77, he himself oversaw the finance ministry for three years, with MN Huda presenting one budget in 1979‑80. From 1980‑81 onward, Saifur Rahman served as finance minister under both Zia and Khaleda Zia, delivering 12 budgets. In total, BNP governments have presented 16 budgets.
