Over the past decade, Bangladesh has ranked 48th out of 51 lower-middle-income countries in terms of health sector budget allocation relative to the national budget. While Bhutan allocates 8.05% of its total budget to health, Bangladesh’s allocation stands at just 3.32%. These findings were presented during a discussion titled "National Budget in Education and Health", organized by the Centre for Development Coordination (উন্নয়ন সমন্বয়).

The event was held Wednesday afternoon at the Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled Conference Room in Banglamotor, Dhaka. It was moderated by Mahbub Hasan, Senior Research Associate at the organization. The keynote paper was presented by Abdullah Nadvi, Director of Research at the Centre. Other attendees included Dr. Halida Hanum Akhter, member of the Women's Reform Commission and a public health expert, Jagannath University lecturer Kazi Faruq Hossain, and Dhaka University professor Kamrul Hasan.

Abdullah Nadvi explained that countries that have successfully transitioned from least developed to developing status, on average, allocated 16% of their national budgets to education and 9% to health in the years leading up to their transition. In contrast, although Bangladesh is set to graduate to a developing country by 2026, it has only allocated 12% to education and 3% to health on average—leaving it inadequately prepared for global competition in key human development sectors.

He also noted that Bangladesh ranks 22nd in education budget allocation among 26 lower-middle-income countries such as Morocco, Ghana, and Cameroon. The average allocation for education over the last decade has been 11.94% of the national budget. For the current fiscal year, the education sector received 11.9%, which rises to 13.9% when combined with the technology sector.

Speaking at the event, public health expert Halida Hanum Akhter said, “Investments in health and education take time to yield results. While various reform commissions exist in Bangladesh, there is none for education—a glaring oversight. Structural reforms and accountability are necessary to bring about real change.”

Faruk Hossain, Associate Professor at Jagannath University, remarked that education in Bangladesh has become commodified. “Teachers are reluctant to work in rural areas, and a primary school teacher earns just 12,000 taka. Budget allocations are not enough—proper implementation is essential.”

Dhaka University professor Kamrul Hasan emphasized the need to improve both education and health sectors to ensure the development of the country's youth. “Both sectors are severely neglected. Talented students are educated with the taxpayers’ money, yet we are unable to retain them. This results in a loss of national resources,” he said.