The National Peasants and Agricultural Workers Association has strongly criticized the proposed 2026–27 national budget, alleging that the agriculture sector has once again been marginalized despite its vital contribution to Bangladesh’s economy, employment, and food security.

In a joint statement, Association President Professor Abdus Sattar and General Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Nannu said the budget fails to reflect the economic and social importance of agriculture, which contributes nearly 11 percent to the country's GDP and supports the livelihoods of 43–45 percent of the workforce, directly and indirectly.

The leaders noted that the combined allocation for agriculture, fisheries, livestock, and food security stands at only Tk 43,335 crore, accounting for just 4.65 percent of the total national budget.

State expenditure on agriculture remains limited to between 1 and 1.5 percent of GDP, despite the sector's central role in ensuring food security, sustaining the rural economy, and generating employment.

The statement also sharply criticized the government's continued financial support for the banking sector without recovering massive defaulted loans.

Citing official data, the leaders said non-performing loans had reached Tk 588,704 crore as of March 31, 2026, representing 32.26 percent of all disbursed loans.

Despite this, the proposed budget allocates Tk 36,706 crore for bank restructuring and recapitalization, while Tk 41,558 crore is being spent on the same purpose in the current fiscal year.

In total, more than Tk 78,000 crore of public funds will be spent over two years, they said, without recovering any significant amount from major loan defaulters, including S. Alam Group and Beximco.

"Repeatedly bailing out banks with taxpayers' money while failing to prosecute financial looters or confiscate their assets is neither morally defensible nor economically sustainable. It effectively rewards financial misconduct," the statement said.

The association leaders argued that the issue reflects a deeper crisis in the country's development strategy.

They warned that sidelining agriculture in a country where it remains a key economic pillar weakens the productive base of the economy and jeopardizes future food security.

They stressed the need to transform agriculture into a modern agro-industrial sector through investment in technology, research, processing industries, and export-oriented production.

However, they said the current budget lacks any clear roadmap, structural investment plan, or long-term vision to achieve that transformation.

The leaders warned that neglecting farmers and agricultural workers while shifting the burden of banking-sector losses onto ordinary citizens cannot build a self-reliant, sustainable, and equitable economy.

They demanded that agricultural budget allocations be increased to at least 12 percent of total expenditure and called on the government to announce a national roadmap for transforming agriculture into a modern agro-industrial sector.

They also urged greater emphasis on food security through long-term state investment in agricultural research, irrigation, public storage facilities, and agro-processing industries.

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