Dhaka, June 28 -- Bangladesh's rising public debt is raising red flags among economists and policymakers, as the debt-to-GDP ratio has climbed nearly 11 percentage points over the past decade, reaching 37.62 per cent in the last fiscal year (FY 2023-24).

The ratio jumped rose to 36.06 per cent in the previous fiscal FY 2022-23 from 27.0% in FY2014-15, according to data from the Ministry of Finance (MoF), highlighting a growing reliance on borrowing to meet development needs and cover persistent budget deficits.

This steady upward trend is prompting calls for urgent fiscal discipline, strategic debt management, and stronger domestic revenue mobilisation to avert future financial stress.

Although the current debt level remains within the...