Rejaul Karim Byron

3 weeks ago | thedailystar.net | Rejaul Karim Byron |Mahmudul Hasan

The government is planning to significantly reduce its bank borrowing target in the upcoming fiscal year as it aims to narrow the budget deficit by scaling down the overall budget size. The target is set to be slashed by nearly 25 percent in the budget for FY26, dropping to Tk 104,000 crore. The budget deficit for the outgoing fiscal year is also likely to shrink by around Tk 30,000 crore to Tk 226,000 crore, according to a finance ministry official.

4 weeks ago | thedailystar.net | Rejaul Karim Byron |Mahmudul Hasan

Bangladesh's interim government is preparing to unveil a rare contractionary budget on June 2, driven by a sharp rise in interest payment that is crowding out fiscal space and forcing spending cuts. The national budget for fiscal year 2025-26 is set at Tk 7,90,000 crore -- Tk 7,000 crore lower than the original outlay for the current year -- marking the first time in recent memory that the overall budget will shrink.

1 month ago | thedailystar.net | Rejaul Karim Byron |Mahmudul Hasan

As part of policy reforms aimed at improving the credibility and accuracy of national statistics, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has been empowered to publish official data without prior government approval. At present, approval from the planning minister and head of state is required before the BBS can publish data. This process causes significant delays in data publishing, as files often remain stuck in limbo before ultimately being approved.

2 months ago | thedailystar.net | Rejaul Karim Byron

Allowances, however, to increase by only Tk 50 to Tk 100 The government will increase the number of beneficiaries of various social safety net schemes by at least 10 lakh from fiscal year (FY) 2025-2026, but allowances will see a small increase, although poor groups have been facing stubbornly high inflation for years. The finance ministry, after consultation with relevant ministries, has drafted a plan to increase the number of beneficiaries and the monthly allowance.

2 months ago | thedailystar.net | Rejaul Karim Byron

The government's subsidy burden for power and fertiliser is set to increase by 57.9 percent to Tk 90,000 crore in the revised budget for this fiscal year as it looks to keep energy and agricultural inputs affordable amid high inflation. Fertiliser subsidy will increase to Tk 28,000 crore in the revised budget, up by 64.7 percent from the original. Power subsidy will rise by 55 percent to Tk 62,000 crore. The subsidy for liquefied natural gas (LNG) will remain unchanged at Tk 6,000 crore.