Call to raise allocation, ensure transparency in social safety net budget

The Right to Food Bangladesh network has called for increasing the allocation and effectiveness of the social security sector in the FY26 national budget to reduce economic inequality. 

"In the budget, the number of social security programmes has been reduced from 140 to 95. The allocation has been reduced to Tk1,16,731 crore, which is only 1.87% of the GDP," said SM Zulfiqar Ali, research director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, while presenting the main article at a views-exchange meeting titled "Social Security Programmes to Reduce Inequality and National Budget" organised at the Jatiya Press Club today (26 June).

He said if government employees' pensions, agricultural subsidies, freedom fighter allowances, and textbook distribution costs are excluded, the actual allocation for the social security sector in the FY26 budget stands at only 0.92% of GDP.

"The budget lacks significant allocations for the urban poor and the new poor," he highlighted.

As the chief guest, Director General of the Department of Social Services Md Saidur Rahman Khan said steps have been taken to create a database for beneficiaries of social safety net programmes and to prevent corruption. 

"Those who have deceived the public by resorting to various forms of corruption [in the programmes] have been relieved of responsibility by filing cases through the Anti-Corruption Commission."

Currently, there is a decline in the number of complaints related to allowance payments, he said, adding, "We are working to avoid duplication so that the same person cannot receive allowances from two places simultaneously."

Dhaka University (DU) Economics Professor MM Akash said for those in society who are unable to earn an income, especially children and the elderly, income must be provided from the family in addition to state initiatives.

DU Professor and South Asian Network on Economic Modeling Executive Director Selim Raihan said the FY26 budget has turned out to be a conventional budget. "It lacks special allocation for the newly impoverished population through social protection programmes."