Defence sector budget to be increased by Tk 27.15b

In the proposed budget of 2022-23 fiscal year, Tk 399.95 billion has been allocated in the defence sector, which is Tk 27.15 billion more than the outgoing fiscal year.

In the 2021-22 fiscal year, Tk 372.80 billion was allocated in the defence sector.

An allocation of Tk 361.56 billion has been proposed as the operating cost for the defence sector while Tk 18.85 billion has been proposed as the development expenditure in the defence budget this time. Tk 19.09 billion has been proposed as the operating cost of other services of the defence ministry.

The allocation for the defence sector in the budget, proposed in the parliament for the 2022-23 fiscal year, amounts to 5.9 per cent of the total budget.

It was said in Awami League’s election manifesto of 2018, ‘Bangladesh on the march towards Prosperity’ that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman formulated Defence Regulations in 1974 with the aim of increasing the capability of the armed forces for protecting the integrity, sovereignty and safety of the country.

Awami League’s policy based on that regulation to keep the armed forces above all controversies will be continued on the basis of the regulation, it added.

Aiming at modernizing Bangladesh Armed Forces ‘Forces Goal 2030’ programme was taken after Awami came to power in 2009. The programme was updated in 2017 in order to modernize the army, navy and air force.

Basically, the ‘Forces Goal 2030’ programme was taken after a maritime tension erupted between Bangladesh and Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal.

One of the key primary goals of ‘Forces Goal 2030’ programme is to increase the capability of Bangladesh Armed Forces for multidimensional wars. So that, these forces can be turned into a three dimensional force on water, land and air.

Other goals of this programme include reformation of armed forces, increasing manpower, collecting modern arms and ammunitions and achieving arm manufacture and research capability in Bangladesh.

The defence related planning in Awami League’s election manifesto of 2018 stated, the ongoing process of modernising army, navy and air force will continue in full swing in line with the era.