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SANGSAD BHABAN, June 27, 2026 (BSS) – State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit today said the proposed budget for fiscal year 2026-27 (FY27) is not merely a financial statement but a comprehensive roadmap for implementing the government’s electoral commitments.

Participating in the general discussion on the proposed budget in the Jatiya Sangsad, he said the budget places special emphasis on achieving self-reliance in the energy sector, expanding renewable energy, making record allocations for education and healthcare, and strengthening the country’s foundation for sustainable development through people-oriented initiatives.

Referring to the energy and power sector, the state minister said the proposed allocation of Tk 17,345 crore for the next fiscal year is significantly higher than that of the previous year.

He said the recent crisis in the Middle East has exposed the limitations of Bangladesh’s import-dependent energy policy, prompting the government to intensify gas exploration and extraction both onshore and offshore.

“The offshore bidding round launched on May 24 will continue until November. We are hopeful that, like the successful offshore bidding round of 1993, Bangladesh will achieve significant success in discovering new gas reserves,” he said.

Highlighting the initiative to expand the capacity of the Eastern Refinery, Amit said the current government has undertaken the long-awaited project to establish its second unit, which had remained unrealised since independence.

Once implemented, he said, the country’s oil refining capacity would increase to 5 million metric tons annually.

The state minister said the government aims to generate 20 percent of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030, describing duty exemptions and policy support for solar power installations as timely measures to achieve the target.

Praising the proposed budget, the state minister said education has always been a priority sector for the BNP. He recalled that Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman introduced the national literacy programme, while former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia launched free education for girls, free textbook distribution and stipend programmes for female students.

He said the current government is moving towards fulfilling its commitment to provide free education for girls up to the undergraduate level.

According to him, the proposed budget allocates Tk 136,606 crore for education, accounting for 14.56 percent of the total budget and representing an increase of nearly 18 percent over the previous fiscal year.

He said the allocation would help make the education system more skills-oriented, technology-driven and quality-focused.

Describing healthcare as one of the strongest aspects of the proposed budget, Amit said a record Tk 69,409 crore has been allocated to the sector.

He said the decision to reduce VAT and customs duties on cardiac stents, eye lenses, dialysis filters and blood tubing would significantly lower treatment costs for ordinary people.

Sharing a personal experience, the state minister said his late father had undergone dialysis for many years, allowing him to witness firsthand the financial and emotional burden borne by families of kidney patients.

He described the tax reduction on dialysis equipment as a “highly humane decision”.
Amit also welcomed the government’s initiative to establish primary healthcare units at union and municipal ward levels and upgrade 51-bed upazila health complexes into 101-bed facilities.
Concluding his speech, he said Bangladesh can be transformed into a just, equitable and prosperous nation through mutual respect, democratic practice and collective efforts.