B Mirror Report: Bangladesh is set to present its 55th national budget on Thursday, with Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury scheduled to place the proposed budget for FY2026-27 in Parliament.
The budget, expected to total around Tk 938,000 crore, will be the first of the current BNP-led government and the first national budget to be presented by Amir Khasru as finance minister. The proposal will be tabled in the House under the chairmanship of Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and in the presence of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The word “budget” originated from the French term bougette, meaning a money bag. The world’s first budget was introduced in Britain in 1733 by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Robert Walpole. In the Indian subcontinent, the first budget was presented by James Wilson on April 7, 1860.
Following Bangladesh’s independence, the country’s first budget was announced by Tajuddin Ahmad on June 30, 1972, with an outlay of Tk 786 crore. Since then, 54 national budgets have been presented.
Former finance ministers M Saifur Rahman and Abul Maal Abdul Muhith jointly hold the record for presenting the highest number of budgets, with 12 each. Muhith also holds the record for presenting 10 consecutive budgets.
The upcoming budget is expected to outline the government’s fiscal priorities, revenue measures, and economic management plans for the next financial year.
