Published: 10:29 AM, 28 June 2026
Seminar on National Budget 2026-27 held at EWU
A seminar titled ‘National Budget 2026-27: Priorities and Perspectives’ was held on Thursday at East West University (EWU), Aftabnagar, Dhaka. Three renowned economists of the country attended the seminar and presented their valuable and expert opinions on how the national budget will impact ordinary citizens, students, businesses, and the future of the country's economy.
Professor Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, distinguished economist and Distinguished Fellow of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), presented the keynote paper at the event.
He noted that many positive initiatives, including tariff reductions, have been taken in this budget to facilitate smoother export sector and business operations. However, he pointed out that while revenue collection is falling short in the current fiscal year, achieving an additional 18 percent revenue collection target is nearly impossible. Furthermore, expressing concern over the rising cost of debt servicing, he warned that the country might fall into a long-term debt trap when the principal payments for mega projects come due.
Speaking as a designated discussant, Professor Dr. A.K. Enamul Haque, Director General of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), emphasized that pervasive corruption must be curbed for the benefits of the proposed budget to reach the general public. In this regard, he advised the government to take appropriate initiatives to introduce a 'cashless' transaction system across the country.
Professor Dr. Mohammed Farashuddin, former Governor of Bangladesh Bank and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of East West University, welcomed the budget's maiden inclusion of benefits for the elderly population. However, he noted that there are no specific measures to address the country's growing inequality. He also suggested that the government could take tough decisions, such as extracting coal in Dinajpur, to mitigate the energy shortage.
Additionally, the speakers emphasized the proper implementation of the budget to achieve goals related to education, employment, inflation control, LDC graduation, and sustainable economic growth.
The seminar was attended by university faculty members, officials, and a large number of students, who actively participated in the Q&A session to seek the panelists' perspectives on various budget-related issues.
