Dhaka, June 2 -- The proposed Tk 7.9 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 includes a plan to allocate Tk 2 billion for research to harness the potential of the blue economy.

In his budget speech on Monday, Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed stressed the importance of "encouraging and inspiring scientific research and development in the country, particularly in the fields of science and technology".

To this end, he noted that in the fiscal year 2024-25, special research grants of approximately Tk 166.6 million have been provided for 492 projects across various universities.

The advisor said, "I propose an allocation of Tk 2 billion for research activities aimed at exploring the potential of the blue economy through fundamental scie...