A coalition of Bangladesh's left-wing political parties has criticized the proposed FY2026-27 national budget, describing it as a debt-dependent spending plan that fails to address unemployment, inequality and the needs of ordinary citizens.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, leaders of the Democratic United Front and several socialist and communist parties said the government's proposed Tk 9.38 trillion budget relies heavily on borrowing while offering little in the way of concrete measures to improve the lives of working people.

The statement was signed by prominent leftist leaders, including Bazlur Rashid Firoz of the Bangladesh Socialist Party (BASD), Sajjad Zahir Chandan and Abdullah Kafi Ratan of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Sharif Nurul Ambia and Nazmul Haque Prodhan of Bangladesh JASAD, among others.

The leaders pointed to the projected budget deficit of nearly Tk 250,000 crore, arguing that the financing gap would be covered largely through domestic and foreign borrowing, raising concerns about the country's growing debt burden.

They also criticized the budget for lacking a clear strategy to generate employment at a time when job creation remains one of Bangladesh's most pressing economic challenges.

"Despite the size of the budget, there is no specific roadmap for creating new jobs," the statement said.

The alliance further argued that key public welfare sectors, including education, healthcare and agriculture, continue to receive inadequate attention despite repeated government commitments to strengthen social services.

The leaders also took aim at the government's decision to retain provisions allowing the legalization of undisclosed wealth, commonly known as whitening black money. They described the policy as inconsistent with constitutional principles and questioned how the government intends to achieve its ambitious revenue targets when it failed to meet collection goals during the outgoing fiscal year.

The statement further alleged that the budget reduces tax burdens for wealthy groups while maintaining indirect taxes that disproportionately affect ordinary consumers.

Calling for a shift away from what they described as policies favoring wealthy elites, owners of undisclosed wealth and bureaucratic interests, the alliance urged the government to formulate a people-centered budget aimed at reducing inequality and advancing broader social welfare objectives.

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