Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury on Tuesday stressed the need for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors and entrepreneurship to transform Bangladesh's healthcare system.
“Increasing budgetary allocations alone would not be enough to improve the country's health sector,” he said while speaking as the special guest at a program titled "Pathways to Health Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh" held at a hotel in Dhaka.
He said effective utilization of existing resources, coupled with constructive dialogue and policy guidance involving both public and private stakeholders, would play a crucial role in building a sustainable healthcare system.
"The initiative to establish a forward-looking and effective advisory coalition for the health sector is a welcome step," he said.
Dr Zubaida Rahman, vice-president of Ziaur Rahman Foundation, attended the event as the chief guest.
Highlighting Bangladesh's strengths, the finance minister said the country already has capable entrepreneurs, diagnostic centres, private hospitals and a robust pharmaceutical industry.
He noted that the 2026-27 national budget includes substantial support for the pharmaceutical sector, particularly for the development of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), including the establishment of a dedicated zone.
"The real challenge is how we integrate these significant capabilities into the mainstream healthcare system," he said.
The minister expressed concern over Bangladesh's high out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure, describing it as one of the highest in the world.
He said reducing the financial burden on patients would require stronger integration between public and private healthcare providers to deliver affordable and accessible services.
Describing healthcare as a fundamental right of every citizen, Amir Khasru said the government is shifting its focus towards primary and preventive healthcare.
He said around 100,000 health workers are being deployed to strengthen health awareness and services at the grassroots level.
Rather than investing heavily in additional public healthcare infrastructure, the government has adopted a policy of making better use of the expertise and capacity already available in the private sector, he added.
The minister also said the budget offers significant incentives to encourage both local and foreign investors to manufacture healthcare equipment in Bangladesh, adding that the initiative has already received a strong response from entrepreneurs.
He expressed confidence that Bangladeshis could become among the world's leading entrepreneurs if provided with appropriate opportunities and supportive policies.
"The political philosophy of the present government is private sector-led growth. Our leadership firmly believes in empowering the private sector, and we are working tirelessly to bring about positive change in the country," he said.
The finance minister said the government's policy support, visionary leadership and the efforts of talented entrepreneurs would together help deliver quality healthcare services to people's doorsteps and make a transformative contribution to the country's health sector.