Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said future national budgets will be designed for public welfare rather than benefiting individuals or groups, signalling a stricter fiscal policy approach as the government seeks higher investment, stronger market confidence and faster port-led economic expansion.
Speaking during his first visit to his constituency in Chattogram after taking office, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said patronage-driven budgeting will not continue and that fiscal decisions must be made responsibly. He said past borrowing created a heavier public debt load because loans were not channelled into productive projects.
The finance minister said the government will prioritise domestic and foreign investment to restore confidence in Bangladesh’s stock market. He linked investment growth to job creation and said policy measures will focus on expanding employment and improving the business environment.
Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury also outlined plans to strengthen Chattogram’s role in the national economy, describing the city as a priority for investment-led development. He said the administration will take steps to make Chattogram a “real commercial capital” through higher investment and expanded employment opportunities, positioning the port city as a central hub for trade, logistics and industrial growth.
He called for coordinated action from government agencies and stakeholders to meet public expectations, stressing that implementation capacity will be essential to deliver on fiscal and economic priorities.
Earlier in the day, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury arrived at Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport at 11:00 am and was received by local leaders and party activists. He later visited his parents’ graves at Nazir Bari in Uttar Kattali under Pahartali Police Station and attended Juma prayers at Kadamtali Madarbari Jame Mosque.
The finance minister is scheduled to meet party leaders and activists at his Mehedibagh residence. He will also attend a meeting with port service providers to discuss operational improvements and measures to enhance activity at Chittagong Port, a strategic national asset for trade flows, supply chains and industrial energy demand.
