From 1972-73 to 2025-26Chronology of Bangladesh’s National Budget

Bangladesh’s national budget has undergone a remarkable transformation since its first presentation during the 1971 Liberation War, growing from a modest wartime financial plan to a nearly Tk8 trillion ((8 lakh crores)) fiscal framework.

The country’s first budget was unveiled on 19 July 1971 by the Mujibnagar Government. Prepared by then Finance Minister M Mansur Ali, it covered only three months and was designed primarily to finance the independence war. Revenue was projected at just Tk7.74 million, against expenditure of Tk8.62 million, resulting in a deficit of about Tk880,000.

Following independence, Bangladesh’s first national budget was presented by Tajuddin Ahmad on 30 June 1972, covering both the 1971-72 and 1972-73 fiscal years. The budget focused on reconstruction, rehabilitation and economic recovery in a war-ravaged country.

Over the following decades, successive governments used budgets to address major challenges, including post-war reconstruction, the 1974 famine, military rule, structural economic reforms, trade liberalisation, inflation, banking-sector weaknesses and infrastructure development.

Several landmark policy measures emerged through budget speeches, including the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) in 1991, expansion of social safety-net programmes in the late 1990s, repeated opportunities to legalise undisclosed income, public-private partnership initiatives, and more recently, economic recovery measures during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The size of the budget expanded steadily alongside the economy. From Tk719.43 crore in 1972-73, it crossed Tk1 lakh crore in 2009-10 and reached Tk7.97 trillion (Tk797,000 crore) in the 2024-25 fiscal year, presented by Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali.

Although the 2024-25 budget remained unchanged after the fall of the Awami League government two months later, the interim administration slowed development spending and deferred a number of projects.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury is set to place the national budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 at the Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday (11 June).

This will be the country’s 55th budget. The chronology of the national budget is given below, along with the budget size with amounts in crores:

Fiscal year - Who placed it - Total size - ADP

1972-73 - Tajuddin Ahmed - Tk786 crore - Tk501 crore

1973-74 - Tajuddin Ahmed - Tk995 crore - Tk525 crore

1974-75 - Tajuddin Ahmed - Tk1,084 crore - Tk525 crore

1975-76 - Dr Azizur Rahman Mollik - Tk1,549 crore -Tk950 crore

1976-77 - Maj Gen Ziaur Rahman - Tk1,989 crore -Tk1,222 crore

1977-78 - Lt Gen Ziaur Rahman -Tk2,184 crore -Tk1,278 crore

1978-79 - President Ziaur Rahman - Tk2,499 crore -Tk1,446 crore

1979-80 - Dr MN Huda - Tk3,317crore - Tk2,123 crore

1980-81 - M Saifur Rahman - Tk4,108 crore -Tk2,700 crore

1981-82 - M Saifur Rahman - Tk4,677 crore -Tk3,015 crore

1982-83 -AMA Muhith - Tk4,738 crore - Tk2,700 crore

1983-84 - AMA Muhith -Tk5,896 crore-Tk3,483 crore

1984-85 - M Sayeduzzaman -Tk6,699 crore - Tk3,896 crore

1985-86 - M Sayeduzzaman -Tk7,138 crore - Tk3,825 crore

1986-87 - M Sayeduzzaman - Tk8,504 crore - Tk4,764 crore

1987-88 - M Sayeduzzaman - Tk8,527 crore - Tk5,046 crore

1988-89 - Maj Gen Munim - Tk10,565 crore - Tk5,315 crore

1989-90 - Dr Wahidul Haq - Tk12,703 crore - Tk5,803 crore

1990-91 -Maj Gen Munim - Tk12,960 crore - Tk5,668 crore

1991-92 - M Saifur Rahman - Tk15,584 crore - Tk7,500 crore

1992-93 - M Saifur Rahman - Tk17,607 crore - Tk9,057 crore

1993-94 - M Saifur Rahman - Tk19,050 crore - Tk9,750 crore

1994-95 -M Saifur Rahman - Tk20,948 crore - Tk11,000 crore

1995-96 - M Saifur Rahman - Tk23,170 crore - Tk12,100 crore

1996-97 - SAMS Kibria - Tk24,603crore - Tk12,500 crore

1997-98 - SAMS Kibria - Tk27,786 crore - Tk12,800 crore

1998-99 - SAMS Kibria - Tk29,537 crore - Tk13,600 crore

1999-00 - SAMS Kibria - Tk34,252 crore - Tk12,477 crore

2000-01 - SAMS Kibria -Tk38,524 crore - Tk17,500 crore

2001-02 - SAMS Kibria - Tk42,306 crore - Tk19,000 crore

2002-03 - M Saifur Rahman - Tk44,854 crore - Tk19,200 crore

2003-04 - M Saifur Rahman - Tk51,980crore - Tk20,300 crore

2004-05 - M Saifur Rahman - Tk57,248crore - Tk22,000 crore

2005-06 - M Saifur Rahman - Tk61,058 crore - Tk23,626 crore

2006-07 - M Saifur Rahman - Tk69,740 crore - Tk26,000 crore

2007-08 - Mirza Azizul Islam - Tk99,962 crore - Tk25,600 crore

2008-09 - Mirza Azizul Islam - Tk99,962 crore - Tk25,400 crore

2009-10 - AMA Muhith - Tk1,13,815 crore - Tk28,500 crore

2010-11 - AMA Muhith - Tk1,32,170 crore - Tk35,130 crore

2011-12 - AMA Muhith - Tk1,61,214 crore - Tk41,080 crore

2012-13 - AMA Muhith - Tk1,91,738 crore - Tk52,366 crore

2013-14 - AMA Muhith - Tk2,22,491 crore - Tk60,000 crore

2014-15 - AMA Muhith - Tk2,50,560 crore - Tk75,000 crore

2015-16 - AMA Muhith - Tk2,95,100 crore - Tk93,894 crore

2016-17 - AMA Muhith - Tk3,40,605crore -Tk1,10,700 crore

2017-18 - AMA Muhith - Tk4,00,266 crore - Tk1,48,381 crore

2018-19 - AMA Muhith - Tk4,64,573 crore - Tk1,73,000 crore

2019-20 - AHM Mustafa Kamal - Tk5,23,190 crore - Tk2,02,721 crore

2020-21 - AHM Mustafa Kamal - Tk5,68,000 crore -- Tk2,05,145 crore

2021-22 - AHM Mustafa Kamal - Tk6,03,681 crore - Tk2,25,324 crore

2022-23 - AHM Mustafa Kamal - Tk6,78,064 crore - Tk2,46,066 crore

2023-24 - AHM Mustafa Kamal - Tk7,61,785 crore - Tk2,63,000 crore

2024-25 - AH Mahmood Ali - Tk7,97,000 crore - Tk2,65,000 crore

2025-26 - Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed - Tk7,90,000 crore - Tk2,16,125 crore

AMA Muhith and Saifur Rahman presented the highest 12 budgets each during different terms in their respective governments.

The evolution of Bangladesh’s budget reflects the country’s broader economic journey—from a newly independent nation financing a liberation war to one of South Asia’s fastest-growing economies managing a multi-trillion-taka fiscal programme