Bangladesh’s per capita debt now Tk 1.29 lakh: Finance minister

Bangladesh’s per capita debt stood at Tk 129,239 in March 2026, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury told parliament.

The government plans to reduce the burden by increasing revenue collection, improving public-finance management and borrowing more carefully. Measures include raising tax and non-tax revenue, increasing the government’s own income and reducing the need for new loans.

The finance ministry also intends to make public spending more economical by controlling unnecessary and lower-priority expenditure. To limit interest costs and refinancing risks, the government is pursuing orderly, market-based credit expansion and a more effective and competitive government securities market.

Officials are working to develop the domestic credit market and broaden its investor base. The government is also keeping borrowing through savings certificates within prescribed limits and aligning their interest and profit rates with prevailing market conditions.

The minister said these steps should reduce reliance on relatively expensive loans, control overall interest spending and create a more balanced debt portfolio. He added that an Annual Borrowing Plan would help prevent excessive and unplanned borrowing.