Mixed Public Reaction to Budget, Concern Outweighs Relief
Photo: Agamir Somoy
The government has announced a proposed national budget of around Tk 938,000 crore for the 2026–27 fiscal year. The budget was presented in Parliament on Thursday by Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.
Although the budget emphasizes increased spending on development, health, education, and human resources, public reactions after the announcement have been mixed. While some see it as development and welfare oriented, many others have expressed concern over inflation and rising commodity prices.
In Karwan Bazar,one of the capital’s largest wholesale markets—there was extensive discussion and debate over the budget. From fruit sellers and tea and cigarette vendors to mobile shop owners and general consumers, people shared their views and concerns. Traders say budget impacts ultimately reflect on product prices, putting pressure on both sellers and buyers. Consumers, on the other hand, argue that promised benefits rarely translate into real market relief.
Fruit seller Eklas Khan Sagor in Karwan Bazar said, “I know the budget has been announced today. I keep checking the news on Facebook. I heard imported fruit prices may increase. Customers already bargain a lot. If prices go up further, it will be hard to convince them. Many will stop buying. Unsold goods spoil daily, which will cause business losses.”
Mobile phone seller Mohammad Faisal
Tea and cigarette seller Mohammad Alamgir spoke in a somewhat disappointed tone, saying, “I have no reaction. If prices go up, I will also sell at higher prices. I am getting angry reactions from customers. The number of cigarette buyers has decreased; many are shifting to cheaper cigarettes, and some are saying they will quit smoking. I even thought of closing my shop today, but I had orders, so I had to open.”
Drugstore owner Mohammad Saurov said, “Every year we hear that prices will come down. I have been in this business for seven years, but I have never seen medicine prices actually decrease. This time I heard that the prices of kidney dialysis products will be reduced, but I have never seen such reductions in reality. After the budget, people forget everything, and then prices increase as usual. Cancer medicine prices are also supposed to go down—let’s see if they actually decrease in the market after the budget. If they do, it will be good news for patients in our country.”
Mobile phone seller Mohammad Faisal said, “Mobile phone prices have been rising since after Eid. I don’t know if they increased in today’s budget. If prices go up in the budget, it will create more problems for us because customers will buy less. When people ask why prices are high, I cannot explain that it is due to the budget. If prices decrease, it will benefit us, as sales will increase.”
Customer Abul Hossain Golam
Lychee trader Mohammad Farhad at Karwan Bazar said, “For the past few days, fruit prices have been increasing gradually. Yesterday, 100 lychees cost Tk 200, which has now risen to Tk 320 today. Prices depend not only on the budget but also on imports. When supply is high, prices go down; when supply is low, prices go up. We sell according to that market rate. Besides, I am not yet sure whether prices have increased due to the budget.”
Meanwhile, customer Abul Hossain Golam, who visited Karwan Bazar, expressed his frustration. He said, “Price reductions mentioned in the budget exist on paper, but not in reality. The market is no longer affordable for ordinary people. Low-income people cannot even manage daily food purchases. Until the market syndicate is broken, prices will not come down. In reality, no product price has decreased. The only solution is proper market regulation. I urge the government to ensure regular monitoring of the market. Otherwise, budget concessions alone will bring no benefit.”
