The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved a budget of Tk12,300.4 crore for 58 public universities and the UGC for the 2026–27 financial year.
Of the total allocation, Tk12,001.82 crore has been earmarked for public universities, while Tk298.58 crore has been allocated for the UGC.
Within the university allocation, Tk7,428.43 crore has been set for operational expenses. Another Tk4,573.39 crore has been allocated for 43 development projects.
The budget was approved at the 178th full commission meeting of the UGC held on Wednesday, chaired by UGC Chairman Prof Dr Mamun Ahamed. UGC Secretary Dr Fakhrul Islam presented the agenda of the meeting. UGC Member Mohammad Ayub Islam, responsible for finance and accounts, presented key aspects of the revised 2025–26 budget and the original 2026–27 budget.
For the current 2025–26 fiscal year, the revised allocation for 57 public universities stood at Tk10,802.21 crore. This means the allocation for 2026–27 has increased by Tk1,497.83 crore.
Dhaka University received the highest revenue budget of Tk949.36 crore for 2026–27.
A total of Tk238 crore has been allocated in the UGC’s main budget for research and foreign scholarships in the 2026–27 fiscal year. In the 2025–26 budget, the allocation for this sector was Tk229 crore. Of this, Tk194 crore was for universities and Tk35 crore for the UGC. The allocation has increased by Tk9 crore.
Around 80 percent of the UGC’s total budget for 2026–27 has been allocated to research and foreign scholarships.
Officials said a trilateral meeting of the Secondary and Higher Education Division on April 4, 2026 decided to merge research allocations of universities and the UGC to avoid duplication. Following this decision, Tk200 crore from university research allocations has been included in the commission’s budget. As a result, the UGC’s research allocation stands at Tk226 crore. With an additional Tk12 crore for foreign scholarships, the total stands at Tk238 crore.
The UGC Chairman said a policy will soon be prepared in consultation with universities to ensure effective use of research funds. He said centralised allocation of research funds will not harm university research activities. Instead, it will improve quality, impact and distribution based on need.
He added that current allocations remain insufficient compared to university demand. However, proper utilisation with transparency and accountability will benefit the higher education sector.
He said the UGC aims to ensure quality higher education and build a research culture. He added that research is essential for a knowledge-based economy and sustainable development, and the commission plans to further increase funding in the future.
