Civil Society Calls for a Sustainable, People-Centric Budget for Gender, Education, and Climate Protection in Bangladesh

In pursuit of a transformative economic framework, Bangladesh’s civil society, economists, and policymakers have strongly urged the government to prioritize education, gender equality, and climate justice in the upcoming National Budget for the Fiscal Year 2026-27. During a high-level dialogue organized by the international human rights and development organization ActionAid Bangladesh, speakers emphasized that the new government’s first full budget presents a historic opportunity to fulfill electoral pledges and rebuild public trust, particularly among marginalized communities.

The dialogue, entitled ‘The Time to Invest in the Future is Now: A People-Centric Budget for Women, Youth, and Climate Protection,’ was held on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) at the CIRDAP Auditorium in the capital, Dhaka. It brought together academics, climate scientists, grassroots representatives, and high-ranking government officials.

A research report presented by ActionAid Bangladesh at the dialogue revealed a concerning trend in budget allocations over the past five fiscal years (2021-22 to 2025-26). It showed that while the overall budget size has grown annually, funding for key indicators of sustainable development- such as human resources and social protection- has faced stagnation or reduction.

* Neglect in the Education Sector: Over the past five years, education allocation has steadily declined from 2.08% of GDP to a mere 1.72%, contradicting the national goal of building a knowledge-based society.

* Shrinking Gender Budget: Although the gender budget has been institutionally integrated across 44 ministries on paper, its actual share has shrunk from 5.7% of GDP to 4.2%. Consequently, grassroots initiatives for women’s safety, legal aid, and violence prevention are facing severe institutional capacity crises.

* Deficit in Climate Financing: Despite Bangladesh being one of the most climate-vulnerable nations globally, the allocation for renewable energy within the Annual Development Programme (ADP) stands at a meager 2.89%. Speakers highlighted a massive deficit in domestic and international funding required to implement the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).

Speaking as the chief guest, Dr. Saimum Parvez, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (Forest, Environment, and Climate Change), assured that the current government is giving maximum priority to a ‘people-centric’ and participatory approach in policy formulation and implementation.

He stated, “The government is committed to moving away from a ‘mega-project’ mindset to build a climate-conscious and gender-responsive development model. We are actively working on green initiatives such as waste-to-energy conversion, e-waste management, and carbon trading, where there is a potential for nearly $1 billion in carbon trade.”

Md. Golam Mostafa, Additional Secretary of the Planning Division, noted that generating employment and reducing income inequality are the government’s core objectives. He added that a 100% digital real-time dashboard has already been launched to ensure transparency.

Dr. Samina Lutfah, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Dhaka, warned that merely increasing GDP allocation numbers would be meaningless unless the youth are equipped with education and skills, and the ‘glass ceiling’ for women is shattered. Economist Dr. Sayema Haque Bidisha added that the gender budget should not be viewed merely as a ‘separate fund for women’ but as a coordinated philosophy across all ministries, ensuring safe public transport and recognition of unpaid care work.

However, the most alarming statistic was shared by climate finance expert Dr. Ahsan Uddin Ahmed. He revealed that while nearly 25 ministries have been involved in climate actions over the past decade, their average implementation capacity stands at a dismal 7%. This weak accountability and lack of monitoring are compounding the climate crisis.

The most compelling segment of the dialogue featured testimonies from marginalized individuals across Bangladesh. Mosammat Lipa Akhter, a female farmer from the coastal region, addressed the policymakers directly- ‘Although the government allocates high-quality seeds, women at the grassroots level do not receive them properly. If female farmers cannot be made self-reliant, the country’s agricultural production will not be sustainable.’

Furthermore, representatives from the transgender community, youth with disabilities, and the Socialist Labour Front demanded direct strategic allocations and their active inclusion in the budget formulation process.

To ensure a balanced and future-oriented macroeconomic framework, the dialogue put forward several groundbreaking recommendations for the upcoming FY 2026-27 budget:

1. Education and Youth Development: Progressively increase the education budget to 3% of GDP by 2028. Elevate the ‘Youth Entrepreneurship Fund’ to BDT 600 crore for coastal and digital-sector youth, and launch a ‘Youth Budget Statement’ along with a public real-time tracking dashboard to ensure transparency.

2. Women’s Economic and Social Security: Increase women’s participation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to 40% by 2030, establish a dedicated ‘Women Entrepreneur Fund’, and provide separate allocations to local government sectors to prevent gender-based violence.

3. Climate Justice: Create distinct and specific budget codes for ‘Loss and Damage’ and ‘Adaptation’, and ensure mechanisms for the direct transfer of climate funds to the local level.

This call to action by Bangladeshi civil society underscores that true development is not measured by GDP growth alone, but by a sustainable equilibrium between people, nature, and equity. The upcoming FY 2026-27 budget is not just a financial ledger for Bangladesh; it is an acid test for building a humane and equitable future.

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