Although the ministry of cultural affairs receives an increased amount of Tk 45 crore from the previous year in the proposed national budget, cultural activists remain frustrated with the allocation.
Interim government finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed on Monday proposed Tk 824 crore for the cultural affairs ministry in the proposed budget for the financial year 2025-26 against the proposed budget of Tk 779 crore in FY 2024-25.
Out of the total allocation, Tk 487.36 crore has been allocated to meet the operating expenditure and Tk 336.64 crore for the development programme.
In addition to regular activities of the ministry, the proposed budget has also created some new projects, including the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum at Ganabhaban, making audio-visual contents on the July mass uprising and scholarships for cultural activists and their children.
Salehuddin Ahmed placed a Tk 7,90,000 crore national budget for the financial year 2025鈥�26.
Cultural activists in recent years have been demanding at least one per cent allocation of the national budget for years for the development of the cultural sector.
Renowned dance artiste and researcher-activist Lubna Marium and the Theatre Artists Association of Dhaka president, Azad Abul Kalam, said that the allocation proved that not only the political government but also the 鈥榥on-political鈥� interim government ignored the cultural sector.
Lubna Marium said that without any research the government increased or decreased the allocation in the cultural sector, which does not make any impact.
鈥楪overnment should understand what is going around the world and where they will invest,鈥� Lubna Marium said, adding that cultural practices need research rather than organising events. 聽
Azad Abul Kalam said that the government had never mentioned culture as part of its overall plan and a non-political interim government also proved it in their proposed budget.
鈥楢fter the student-led mass uprising, cultural activists of the country have organised seminars and discussions on the future cultural practices of the country, but the government has ignored the cultural sector,鈥� Azad Abul Kalam said, adding that the planner of the budget has no idea what will be the cultural practice of the country.
