Bangladesh to raise education budget to 5% of GDP in five years

Bangladesh intends to significantly boost its education budget, aiming to raise it to 5% of the Gross Domestic Product within five years, a substantial increase from the current 2%. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced this ambitious plan, emphasizing the critical need to improve teacher compensation and professional development to elevate the quality of education across the country.

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And not only that, according to our plan, if we can move forward as intended, we want to raise the education budget to five percent by the end of five years.

Rahman addressed parliament, responding to a question about teacher salaries, which currently stand at Tk 11,000 for primary teachers and Tk 16,000 for secondary teachers. He acknowledged that insufficient salaries compel many teachers to seek secondary employment, hindering their ability to focus fully on their students. "We believe it is necessary to raise their honorarium. We will do this gradually," the Prime Minister stated, assuring that steps will be taken to ensure teachers can dedicate their time and talent to education.

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During the autocratic rule, only buildings were constructed, but there was no improvement in human resources.

The government is backing this commitment with concrete financial allocations. For the 2026-27 fiscal year, Tk 4,199 crore has been earmarked for the Secondary Education Development Programme (SEDP), which includes funding for national curriculum dissemination and teacher training. Furthermore, the Learning Acceleration in Secondary Education (LAISE) project will receive Tk 810 crore to train over 347,000 teachers and educational staff in various areas, from basic skills to leadership and digital literacy.

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I fully agree that if we cannot properly train our teachers, we cannot expect them to deliver quality outcomes.

Reflecting on past governance, Rahman contrasted the current administration's focus on human resources with previous periods where "only buildings were constructed, but there was no improvement in human resources." He stressed that investing in teachers is paramount for achieving quality educational outcomes. The government also plans substantial infrastructure development at the secondary level, with Tk 3,040.9 crore allocated in the upcoming fiscal year's operating budget.

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To ensure they do not have to take on secondary jobs and can devote their time and talent fully to their students, we believe it is necessary to raise their honorarium. We will do this gradually.