Finance minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Tuesday informed Jatiya Sangsad that, due to recent conflicts in Iran and wider Middle Eastern tensions along with volatility on the global energy market, the additional subsidy requirement for oil, gas, electricity and fertiliser in the financial year 2025-26 could reach about Tk 42,600 crore up to June.
Responding to a question from Dhaka-18 lawmaker SM Jahangir Hossain during the third sitting of the second session and first budget session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, the minister said that the estimated additional requirement included about Tk 10,258 crore for petroleum products, Tk 11,170 crore for gas, Tk 19,821 crore for electricity and about Tk 1,350 crore for fertiliser.
The minister said that the government had continued providing policy and financial support to protect ordinary citizens, agriculture and the production sector despite rising fiscal pressure.
Khosru said that rising global prices of crude oil, liquefied natural gas and fertiliser have increased import and production costs domestically.
Higher energy costs, he said, are likely to raise expenses in transport, agriculture and industry, which could contribute to inflationary pressure.
He also warned that prolonged instability in the Middle East might pose risks to overseas employment and remittance inflows, as the region remained a major labour destination for Bangladeshi workers.
The minister said that the government was closely monitoring the situation and had taken measures including diversification of energy import sources, exploration of local gas reserves, ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential goods, cautious foreign exchange management and exploring alternative labour markets.
He also said that further policy and administrative steps would be taken once sector-wise impact assessments were completed and verified data became available.
