Dhaka, June 12 -- Amid the coronavirus crisis, writing a national budget presents untold difficulties. Finance Minister A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal played it mostly safe in his proposed document for the 2020-21 fiscal, which clocked in at Tk 568,000 crore, venturing "a comprehensive plan" with four main strategies including discouraging luxury expenditure and prioritizing government spending that creates jobs.

"We have taken up a comprehensive plan to overcome the possible negative impacts of the pandemic on our economy and people," Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said while placing the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2020-2021 on Thursday, June 11.

Under this plan, he said, they have taken measures that were necessary in the immediate ...