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Dhaka, June 2, 2025: Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, the Finance Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government, presented the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, amounting to BDT 789,999 crore, on Monday at 3:00 PM.
This marks the first budget under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus and the 54th national budget in the country's history. In the absence of a parliament, the budget speech was broadcast live on Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar.
Dr. Salehuddin emphasized that the budget is reform-oriented, aiming to establish a sustainable system and ensure the benefits of development reach all citizens. Notably, this budget is BDT 7,000 crore smaller than the previous fiscal year's budget, marking the first time in Bangladesh's post-independence history that the budget size has been reduced compared to the previous year. The Finance Adviser stated that the budget was downsized keeping economic realities in mind, with controlling the deficit being a major challenge.
This is the first budget presentation for Dr. Salehuddin, who previously served as the Governor of Bangladesh Bank about one and a half decades ago. The last time a budget was presented outside parliament was in 2008 under a military-backed caretaker government, when the then-Finance Adviser, A.B. Mirza Md. Azizul Islam, announced a budget of BDT 99,962 crore for FY 2008-09.
Following the fall of the Awami League government in a July uprising, the interim government took charge, and Dr. Salehuddin was appointed as the Finance Adviser. Due to the absence of a parliament, the budget will be enacted through a presidential ordinance on June 30, effective from July 1. However, certain provisions, particularly those related to taxes and customs, will take effect immediately from the day of the presentation, June 2.
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