Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Wednesday (24 June) said the government has set a target of reducing inflation to 7.5% and raising economic growth to 6.5% in the 2026–27 fiscal year.
He made the remarks while responding to a written question from ruling party lawmaker Md Fazle Huda (Naogaon-3) in Parliament. The sitting was chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.
The finance minister said the government has identified controlling commodity prices, protecting the purchasing power of ordinary people and ensuring balanced regional development as the key priorities of the budget.
To achieve these objectives, the government plans to strengthen coordination between monetary and fiscal policies, build foreign exchange reserves, keep the budget deficit at a manageable level, prioritise public expenditure and boost production and investment to restore market stability, he said.
Amir Khosru said a budget allocation of Tk1,44,338 crore has been proposed for the social safety net sector in the next fiscal year to help safeguard people's purchasing power.
Under the Family Card Programme, the government has proposed an allocation of Tk14,500 crore to provide monthly assistance of Tk2,500 to 41 lakh women. At the same time, Tk1,062.5 crore has been proposed under the Farmer Card Programme to bring 42.5 lakh farmers in 100 upazilas under the scheme.
He said the primary objective of these programmes is to ensure livelihood protection and consumption support for vulnerable and low-income groups through direct assistance amid persistent inflationary pressures.
Highlighting measures to keep food prices affordable, the minister said 55 lakh families are receiving 30 kilograms of rice per month at Tk15 per kilogram for six months during lean periods under the Food-Friendly Programme.
In addition, subsidised rice and flour are being distributed through more than 1,000 sales centres nationwide. To stabilise the rice market, additional Open Market Sale (OMS) operations have been launched in 419 upazilas, where rice is being sold at Tk30 per kilogram.
The minister also said steps have been taken to increase the government's food grain storage capacity from 23.16 lakh metric tonnes to 24.50 lakh metric tonnes.
The food grain procurement target has likewise been raised from 38.19 lakh metric tonnes to 41.29 lakh metric tonnes.
Regarding infrastructure development in northern Bangladesh, he said no separate allocation has been earmarked specifically for the region. However, a total of Tk1,74,988 crore has been proposed for the physical infrastructure sector.
As part of efforts to ensure balanced regional development, the government has adopted special plans to promote agro-based industrialisation, specialised agricultural processing industries, cold-chain facilities, storage infrastructure, food-processing industries and logistics development in the northern region.
He added that initiatives are under way to implement the Teesta Master Plan, aimed at improving the livelihoods of people living in the region.
The finance minister expressed optimism that coordinated measures involving inflation control, targeted social assistance, food security and regional infrastructure development would provide greater relief to the public.
Responding to another written question from ruling party MP Md Jalal Uddin (Chandpur-2), the finance minister said the government has incorporated a number of special measures in the proposed national budget to address global economic uncertainty, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and potential pressures on the external sector.
He said the government is pursuing strategies to maintain external sector stability through export diversification and expansion, increased remittance inflows and tighter control of non-essential imports to ensure balance in external transactions.
The government is also placing emphasis on strengthening foreign exchange reserves and maintaining exchange-rate stability, he added.
Referring to the Middle East crisis, the minister noted that the conflict could lead to higher international prices for fuel, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fertilisers.
To mitigate the potential impact, the budget includes plans to diversify energy sources, intensify domestic gas exploration, improve power and energy supply systems and continue subsidy support where necessary.
He also warned that prolonged instability in the Middle East could affect overseas employment opportunities and remittance inflows, as the region remains the principal destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers.
As a result, the government is placing special emphasis on creating new overseas labour markets. Bangladesh is pursuing bilateral labour agreements with Russia, Portugal, Romania, Brazil, Greece, Serbia and North Macedonia as alternative destinations for migrant workers.
The minister added that efforts to reopen long-suspended labour markets in Malaysia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait are already under way.
To sustain remittance inflows, the existing 2.5% incentive on remittances sent through formal channels will continue.
“The government has also adopted contingency measures to address potential pressures on the external sector,” he added.