Muhammad Tareq — The Jatiya Sangsad has officially passed a historic BDT 9.38 trillion national budget for the fiscal year 2026-27.
Following three weeks of rigorous parliamentary debate, critical scrutiny, and a series of high-profile policy amendments, the budget was approved by a voice vote on Tuesday.
The new financial plan takes effect on July 1, marking the commencement of the new fiscal year.
This is the country’s 55th national budget and the maiden budget of the BNP government, which took office after winning the general election earlier this year.
Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury originally presented the massive expenditure plan to parliament on June 11.
Parliamentary Debates and Major Revisions
Prior to passing the final budget, the parliament enacted 68 crucial amendments to the Finance Bill on Monday.
These amendments reflect a significant compromise between the government’s initial targets and the pressure from opposition lawmakers and independent MPs, who heavily criticized the proposed tax policies, inflation targets, revenue goals, and social safety net allocations.
In his concluding remarks before the vote, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury stated that several substantial changes were incorporated into the bill after carefully evaluating the recommendations and concerns raised by lawmakers across party lines, including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, and independent members.
Among the major adjustments made to the final bill, the most notable is the elevation of the tax-free income tax threshold to BDT 400,000, aimed at providing relief to middle- and low-income citizens.
Furthermore, the government completely rolled back a highly controversial proposed policy regarding land and flat registrations, which had sought to limit opportunities for registering properties at values lower than predetermined market rates.
Budget Architecture and Economic Targets
The approved FY 2026-27 budget stands at BDT 9.38 trillion, representing a massive increase of BDT 1.48 trillion over the original BDT 7.90 trillion budget of the preceding fiscal year (FY 2025-26).
The framework for financing this ambitious spending plan is structured around aggressive revenue collection and managed deficits:
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Total Revenue Target: BDT 6.95 trillion
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NBR Collection Target: BDT 6.04 trillion (to be mobilized via the National Board of Revenue)
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Overall Deficit: BDT 2.43 trillion, which scales to 3.6% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Through this fiscal design, the government has set clear macroeconomic stabilization goals for the upcoming year.
The administration aims to pull down the country’s persistent inflation rate to 7.5% while simultaneously accelerating GDP growth to an ambitious 6.5%. With the passage of the Finance Bill, all revised customs duties and tax structures are officially set to go live as the clock strikes midnight into July 1.