Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal proposed allocating Tk 587 crore for the cultural affairs ministry on Thursday, as part of his announcement of the fiscal 2021-22 budget. The allocation is Tk 8 crore more than the elapsing budget for fiscal 2020-21. The amount is 0.098 per cent of the proposed deficit national budget of Tk 6,03,681 crore. Also read: New budget unveiled with focus on protecting lives and livelihoods However, cultural activists expressed disappointment over the total allocation, saying that the amount needs to be at least 1 percent of the total budget. "More than 500 theatre organizations under our Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation believe that more money should have been allocated to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs as we, the cultural activists, have constantly been fighting against all odds, upholding the spirit of our glorious Liberation War," Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation said in a press statement. Also read: New budget: Tracking prices going up and down "We urge the government not to push the nation backwards by demotivating the cultural sector with this allocation, rather it should increase the percentage of the total allocation in the proposed budget", they added.