Dhaka, June 14 -- The Interim government presented its annual budget on June 2, with a total outlay of TK7.9 trillion which is 0.88 per cent lower than the outgoing budget, and a revenue target of TK5.64 trillion resulting in a budget deficit of TK 2.26 trillion. It is a trimmed budget relative to budgets presented in previous years reflecting stark economic reality facing the country. The economy is facing a combination of slow growth, high inflation, and rising unemployment notwithstanding the impending political changeover.

Even after almost ten months in power, there remains a sense of unease about the future as to whether the interim government under the leadership Nobel Laureate Professor Mohammad Yunus can get the economy back on ...