Dhaka: The per capita public debt of Bangladesh has reached Tk 129,239.19 as of March 31, 2026, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury informed Parliament on Sunday. This information was revealed in response to a query from BNP MP Reza Ahmed of Kushtia-1.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the Finance Minister detailed various strategies being employed by the government to alleviate the debt burden on citizens. These strategies include enhancing revenue collection, optimizing the management of public funds, and reinforcing debt management practices. The government is also focusing on expanding its revenue base and increasing both tax and non-tax revenue to reduce its reliance on borrowing.
Efforts are underway to ensure that public expenditure is both economical and productive, with a focus on minimizing unnecessary and non-priority spending. The government aims to engage in market-based and disciplined borrowing practices to mitigate refinancing risks. Initiatives have been launched to develop the domestic debt market, broaden the investor base, and enhance the effectiveness and competitiveness of the government securities market.
The Finance Minister highlighted that the government is adhering to prescribed limits on additional borrowing through savings certificates and is working on aligning their interest or profit rates with current market conditions. This approach is intended to reduce reliance on high-cost borrowing, control overall interest expenditure, and create a more balanced debt portfolio. Furthermore, the government is prioritizing the formulation and adherence to an Annual Borrowing Plan to prevent excessive and unplanned borrowing.
The introduction of 'Cash Forecasting' initiatives is aimed at effectively managing the government's cash requirements, revenue and expenditure flows, and debt repayment schedules. The government also emphasizes compliance with the Public Money and Budget Management Act, 2009 (PMBM Act) to maintain fiscal discipline in financial management, budget execution, and borrowing practices.
The comprehensive approach being undertaken to boost revenue and income, control public expenditure and borrowing costs, and improve cash management and market-based debt management is designed to decrease the government's borrowing needs and, in the long run, alleviate the debt burden on the populace. The Finance Minister, however, did not disclose a comparative figure for per capita debt from previous years during his address to Parliament.