Bangladesh's debt rose by Tk15.55 lakh crore during AL's 15-year rule
When the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League returned to power in January 2009, Bangladesh’s total debt stood at Tk2.76 lakh crore. The amount stood at Tk18.32 lakh crore as of June 2024
During Awami League's 15-year-long rule, Bangladesh's domestic and external debt rose by Tk15.55 lakh crore, according to data released by the Finance Division.
As of June 2024, which marked the end of the last fiscal year of the AL regime, Bangladesh's debt amount stood at over Tk18.32 lakh crore, as per the January Debt Bulletin published by the Finance Division.
Of the total amount, foreign debt stands at Tk10.20 lakh crore and domestic debt at Tk8.12 lakh crore.
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When the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League returned to power in January 2009, Bangladesh's total debt stood at Tk2.76 lakh crore.
The AL regime fell in the face of a mass uprising in early August last year. As a result, the Sheikh Hasina-led government could not implement the national budget it passed for the fiscal year of 2024-25, which began in July 202. This also means that the government did not take any further loans in the running fiscal.
During the 15-year-long rule, the Hasina-led government took loans to implement numerous mega projects, including the Padma Bridge, the Karnaphuli Tunnel, the Matarbari Power Plant, the third terminal of the Dhaka airport, the Payra Seaport, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. It also dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, which required more loans.
However, economists have pointed out that the projects undertaken during the AL regime had extravagant costs. They also criticised the ousted government for taking loans without taking all essential factors into consideration.
