The government has proposed an allocation of Tk 4,401 crore for the Election Commission (EC) in the proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2026–27, marking a slight increase from the outgoing fiscal year.
The EC is going to get increased allocation to arrange elections to some local bodies and with other electoral and administrative activities in the coming fiscal year.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury unveiled the proposed national budget for FY 2026-2027 in Parliament on Thursday afternoon.
According to the proposed budget, Tk 4,401 crore has been allocated for the Election Commission Secretariat for 2026-2027 fiscal year, up from Tk 2,956 crore in the previous FY2025-2026 and Tk 4,346 crore in the revised budget of the same fiscal year.
The allocation was higher in the revised budget from the original one in the outgoing fiscal year as the EC conducted the 13th parliamentary election on February 12, 2026.
According to budget documents, the Election Commission plans to conduct two city corporation elections, four municipal elections, 10 upazila parishad elections, 10 union parishad elections, and by-elections to the Jatiya Sangsad and local government bodies in FY2026–27.
Other planned activities include observance of National Voter Day at both central and field levels, updating the voter list with photographs, and continued issuance, printing and distribution of National Identity Cards (NID), including smart cards and laminated cards.
The EC will also continue registration of citizens below 18 years of age, expand services for expatriate Bangladeshis, and further develop the NID system infrastructure.
Besides, the commission will conduct audits and documentation of NID-related digital systems, strengthen cybersecurity measures, and continue partner services for identity verification.
The EC plans for infrastructure development, including establishing a disaster recovery site (DRS) in Cumilla, setting up a mini archive/library for NID records, and strengthening ICT-based election management systems.