Chattogram Wins BDT 11,628 Crore Budget Boom, But Civic Services Squeezed

The commercial capital Chattogram has been handed a significant BDT 11,628 crore windfall across 40 major and minor projects in the proposed national budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

This represents an increase of BDT 2,224 crore compared to the previous fiscal year's original allocation of BDT 9,404 crore. The jump is even more stark when measured against last year's downscaled revised budget of BDT 7,219 crore, marking a massive developmental boost of BDT 4,409 crore.

However, a deeper editorial analysis of the budget documents reveals a glaring imbalance that could directly impact the daily lives of Chattogram's residents. While the government has poured massive funds into macroeconomic shipping, industrial, and rail projects, local civic agencies responsible for basic urban upkeep have suffered crippling financial setbacks.

Mega-Projects Win Big

The lion's share of the budget has been funneled into expanding regional connectivity and maritime infrastructure, with the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) and Chattogram WASA emerging as the biggest winners:

Chattogram Port & Matarbari: Received a massive BDT 4,363 crore allocation. This is driven heavily by the Matarbari Deep Sea Port development, which bagged a combined BDT 3,706 crore (BDT 2,065 crore for the Roads and Highways component and BDT 1,641 crore for the main port construction). The Bay Terminal project also secured BDT 657 crore.

Chattogram WASA: Allocated BDT 1,409 crore a sharp rise of BDT 606 crore from last year primarily to fund its sprawling Metropolitan Sewerage System Project (Phase-1), which individually received BDT 760 crore.

Industrialization & Rail: The establishment of the Indian Economic Zone in Mirsarai received BDT 804 crore to accelerate factory construction, while the Chattogram-Dohazari dual-gauge railway line extension was allocated BDT 155 crore. Additionally, BDT 697 crore was earmarked to advance the long-awaited construction of the new Kalurghat Bridge over the Karnaphuli River.

Civic Services Squeezed

In stark contrast to the infrastructure boom, the agencies tasked with the city's day-to-day survival face a severe funding crunch:

Chattogram City Corporation (CCC): The CCC’s development budget was slashed nearly in half, plummeting from BDT 700 crore last year to just BDT 380 crore this year. This BDT 320 crore deficit directly threatens crucial civic services, including community road renovations, street lighting, and waste management across the city's 41 wards.

Chattogram Development Authority (CDA): The CDA’s allocation dropped by BDT 386 crore, falling to BDT 1,314 crore this year as major flyovers and long-running initiatives near completion. Alarmingly, three out of the CDA's five core urban projects received zero funding. Meanwhile, the city's primary defense against seasonal flooding the much-discussed CDA Waterlogging Mitigation Project was left with a modest BDT 778 crore to address the city's immense drainage crisis.

While the FY2026-27 budget firmly positions Chattogram as a future regional economic hub, local residents may have to brace for a tough year ahead as their municipal corporation struggles to keep streetlights on and neighborhood roads repaired.