Former Bangladesh Bank governor and finance adviser to the previous interim government Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has described the proposed national budget for FY2027 as people-oriented and reflective of the government’s political commitments.
He said the budget, on the whole, aims to address public expectations and includes several initiatives focused on improving people’s welfare. However, he stressed that implementation remains the most critical issue.
“The success of the budget will depend on its effective implementation,” he told BSS while giving his reaction on the national budget.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury placed a Tk9.38 trillion national budget for FY2026-27 in the Jatiya Sangsad today, making it the largest in the country’s history.
Salehuddin said several priority sectors have been identified in the budget, which he termed a positive step overall. He said successful implementation would require adequate resource mobilisation, proper allocation of funds, effective monitoring, and timely execution of projects.
He suggested that the government should identify key priority sectors and begin work on them without delay. He noted that project implementation is often delayed in the country, which results in many initiatives failing to meet public expectations on time. He said emphasis must therefore be placed on speedy and effective execution.
On the size of the budget, he said it has been prepared in line with the country’s development aspirations and political realities. However, he added that achieving all targets would not be easy.
He pointed out that the ambitious revenue collection target set for the National Board of Revenue (NBR), plans for significant borrowing from the banking sector, and implementation of an Annual Development Programme (ADP) worth nearly Tk3 trillion could create major challenges.
