Dhaka, June 4 -- Amid predictable questions for sticking to a familiar script instead of ushering in sweeping reforms, Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed has defended the 2025-26 budget as a pragmatic proposal for a politically delicate transition, insisting it sets a solid foundation for future reforms.

After unveiling budget a Tk 7.90 trillion, the first in Bangladesh's history to be smaller than the previous year's, Salehuddin acknowledged both the criticism and the constraints.

"Some say we've followed the old blueprint. That we didn't make a revolutionary break. But that wasn't possible," he said during a post-budget press briefing on Tuesday.

"There is a degree of convention, yes. But it's not devoid of innovation. We've taken some...