DistantNews
Support us
🇧🇩 Bangladesh /Economy & Trade

[object Object]

From Daily Star · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Speakers at a roundtable urged the government to ensure the active participation of marginalized and underprivileged communities in the national budget process for FY 2026-27.
  • Recommendations include equitable sub-sector allocations and strict monitoring mechanisms to protect vulnerable groups.
  • Specific proposals were made for agrarian families, rural women, indigenous communities, youth, and the urban poor, alongside calls for land and agricultural reforms.

As Bangladesh prepares its national budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a crucial dialogue is unfolding, emphasizing the need for inclusivity and equity for the nation's most vulnerable populations. The Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD), in collaboration with The Daily Star, hosted a roundtable that brought to the forefront the critical importance of ensuring that marginalized communities are not just recipients of aid, but active participants in shaping the financial future of the country.

Speakers at a roundtable yesterday called for ensuring the active participation of the country’s marginalised and underprivileged communities at every stage of the upcoming national budget for FY 2026-27, from formulation to implementation.

— SpeakersSummarizing the main call to action from the roundtable discussion.

The discussions, centered around the theme “National Budget: Fair Allocation, Partnership, Implementation, and Monitoring for Marginalised Communities,” highlighted specific, data-driven recommendations. A keynote report detailed proposed allocations across various sectors, aiming to address the unique needs of agrarian families, rural women, indigenous communities, and the urban poor. These proposals are not mere figures; they represent concrete steps towards social justice, including expanding farmer support, ensuring fair crop prices, and providing housing solutions for the urban destitute.

They also stressed the need for equitable sub-sector allocations, along with strict monitoring mechanisms, to ensure justice for vulnerable groups.

— SpeakersHighlighting the importance of fair distribution and oversight in the budget.

Beyond budgetary allocations, speakers stressed the necessity of robust monitoring systems and structural reforms, particularly in land and agriculture. The call for a permanent National Land and Agricultural Reform Commission and the recovery of khas land underscores a commitment to long-term livelihood improvements. Journalist Sohrab Hasan's observation about the state's limited connection with marginalized communities serves as a poignant reminder of the work ahead. From a Bangladeshi perspective, these discussions are vital, as they directly address the socio-economic fabric of the nation, aiming to build a more equitable society from the ground up, ensuring that economic growth translates into tangible benefits for all citizens, not just a select few.

The report reviewed allocations and expenditures of the previous fiscal year and placed specific budgetary recommendations for marginalised groups in the upcoming fiscal year across six major thematic areas.

— Gazi SarwardiHead of the research team at CRD, presenting the findings of the survey report.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Daily Star. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog