State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam. Photo : Video Screenshot

SANGSAD BHABAN, June 28, 2026 (BSS) - State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam today called for a special budgetary allocation to rehabilitate grassroots political activists who had suffered persecution over the past 17 years.

"There should be a budgetary allocation for thousands of our grassroots leaders and activists, especially poor village-level workers who were subjected to political persecution. Many of them are still living in destitution, and we must consider their rehabilitation," she told the Parliament while taking part in the general discussion on the proposed national budget for FY2026-27. 

Describing the proposed budget as realistic rather than 'a daydream,' she said it is a people-centric, inclusive, progressive, practical and women-friendly budget that the present government is capable of implementing successfully. 

The state minister said that despite political repression, economic challenges and various adversities over the past 17 years, the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister continued to prepare long-term development plans for the country, and the proposed budget reflected that sustained planning.

Rejecting the opposition's criticism that the budget was 'challenging' and 'a daydream', she said Bangladesh's nationalist politics has always been about overcoming challenges. The current government, she added, has undertaken the formidable task of rebuilding a fragile economy and restoring state institutions. 

Shama Obaed said a national budget is not merely an account of income and expenditure but a reflection of a government's political commitment. 

She said the budget places special emphasis on investment-led growth, one-stop services, banking sector reforms, control of default loans, and the empowerment of youth and women entrepreneurs.

Highlighting several positive features of the budget, she said it includes waiving agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000 for 1.2 million farmers, distributing free seeds, fertilisers and other agricultural inputs among 2.522 million marginal farmers, and continuing the farmer card programme.

She also noted initiatives to introduce e-health cards, establish children's hospitals in different divisions, provide free school uniforms and mid-day meals to 200,000 primary students, facilitate the launch of PayPal and other international payment gateways, expand opportunities for freelancers, and provide free Wi-Fi connectivity to 1,500 educational institutions.

The state minister further said the budget includes reforms in the power and energy sector, the introduction of electric buses and pink buses for women and children in the transport sector, and significant allocations for local government and rural development.

Responding to criticism over government borrowing from the domestic market, she said such borrowing was aimed at strategic investment rather than consumption. She added that the government's debt-to-GDP ratio remains at a sustainable level and that the borrowed funds would be used to boost production, strengthen supply chains and maintain market stability.

She also welcomed the budgetary allocation for the fighters of the July Movement.