Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali has commenced presenting the national budget of Tk 7,97,000 crore for the upcoming fiscal year (FY25) at Jatiya Sangsad (JS). The session began shortly after 3:00 pm in the presence of Leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Finance Minister's announcement comes amidst significant challenges, including curbing inflation, maintaining a robust foreign currency reserve, ensuring a stable exchange rate, and boosting revenue generation.

This marks the country's 53rd budget and the 25th under the Awami League government across six terms. It is also the 21st budget introduced during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's tenure.

The tradition of budget presentations dates back to 1972, when Tajuddin Ahmad, the then finance minister of the post-independence Bangabandhu government, presented the first national budget.

This FY25 budget is the first to be introduced by Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali. A career diplomat, Ali has previously served in the Cabinet as the Minister for Disaster Management and Relief and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. His vision for this budget is focused on building a 'Smart Bangladesh' despite the various challenges and adversities.