Budget gives special priority to employment-oriented education: Salehuddin

Finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said on Monday this year’s budget has given special priority to creating the environment for a science-based, technology-driven and employment-oriented education.

“There is no alternative to science, technology or technical education to build a strong economic structure. This year’s budget has given special priority to it,” he said.

The finance adviser said this while presenting the proposed national budget for FY26 in a pre-recorded speech broadcast on Bangladesh Television (BTV) and Bangladesh Betar.

The budget allocation for the entire education sector increased by Tk 933 crore (9.33 billion) in the proposed national budget of Tk 789,999 crore (7.9 trillion), for the financial year 2025-2026.

A total of Taka 95,645 crore (956.45 billion) has been allocated to the education sector, with the primary and mass education ministry Taka 35,403 crore (354.03 billion) and education ministry’s two divisions - Secondary and Higher Education and Technical and Madrasah Education Taka 47,564 crore (475.64 billion) and Taka 12,678 crore (126.78 billion) respectively.

Ministry of Education’s two divisions; Secondary and Higher Education and Technical and Madrasah Education, have received notable increases in 2025-2026.

The Secondary and Higher Education Division has been allocated Taka 47,564 crore (475.64 billion), up by Taka 3,456 crore (34.56 billion) from the previous year’s Taka 44,108 crore (441.08 billion). The revised budget of last year had been reduced to Taka 39,233 crore, (392.33 billion) making this year’s proposal a significant rebound.

Besides, the Technical and Madrasah Education Division has also seen a boost, receiving Taka 12,678 crore (126.78 billion) in proposed budget; an increase of Taka 895 crore (8.95 billion) from the original 2024-25 allocation of Taka 11,783 crore (117.83 billion).

This year’s figure is even more striking when compared to the previous year’s revised allocation of just Taka 9,953 crore (99.53 billion).

However, the primary and mass education ministry has been allocated Taka 35,403 crore (354.03 billion), a decrease of Taka 3,416 crore (34.16 billion) from previous year’s proposed allocation of Taka 38,819 crore (388.19 billion), although it is slightly higher than the Taka 35,123 crore (351.23 billion) in the revised budget.

While proposing a budget for secondary and higher education, the education adviser said, “Existing textbooks have already been revised and updated to ensure quality education. To modernise the higher education system and align it with international standards, the curricula of all private universities have been updated based on the globally recognised outcome-based education (OBE) model.”

He said under the Secondary and Higher Education Division, 62 projects are being implemented with an allocation of Taka 1,957 crore (19.57 billion) for educational infrastructure development and other initiatives.

“Besides, plans have been taken to construct ICT infrastructure, including necessary buildings, at Dhaka University, BUET and Jashore Science and Technology University, which will be used as modern classrooms, laboratories and start-up incubation centers for the ICT students,” he added.

Moreover, the government has provided stipends to 51 lakh (5.1 million) insolvent meritorious students at secondary level, 800,000 at higher secondary level and 165,000 at undergraduate level in the current fiscal year, he said.

Regarding technical and madrasah education division, the adviser said technical and vocational education plays an important role in ensuring employment opportunities both at home and abroad.

“At present, the enrollment rate in technical education is 19 per cent. Women polytechnic and engineering colleges are being established at every divisional level, polytechnics at district level and technical schools at upazila level to substantially increase this rate in the future,” he said.

Besides, the government is implementing extensive programmes for the development of madrasah education, he said, adding, construction of 1,135 madrasah buildings has already been completed and construction of 513 multi-storey buildings are underway. Work is underway to bring 1,519 madrasahs across the country under MPO.

Moreover, multimedia classrooms have been set up in 493 madrasahs, which are playing a role in making madrasah education time-befitting, he said.

The adviser proposed to allocate Taka 728 crore (7.28 billion) for inclusion of stipend at the ibtedai level and MPO enrollment of madrasahs.

Commenting on primary and mass education, the adviser said, the most important foundation of a child’s cognitive development is laid at the level of primary education.

“Considering this, short, medium and long-term reform activities have been started based on the recommendations of the consultation committee formed for the development of primary education, whose main goal is to create a suitable environment and ensure quality education for the students,” the adviser said.

To ensure an enabling environment for primary education, 5,946 classrooms,17,164 wash blocks and 4,450 tube wells have been set up in primary schools across the country in the current fiscal year, he said, adding, at present, construction of 21,278 classrooms, 18,476 wash blocks and installation of 6,984 tube wells are underway.

This year 9,19,50,492 books were distributed among the students from pre-primary level to Class-V, he said.