The University of Dhaka on Monday proposed a Tk 1,033.21 crore budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year, allocating more than half of the total outlay to salaries and allowances for teachers, officers and employees, while research continues to receive a relatively small share.
The proposed budget is Tk 58.41 crore lower than the allocation for the previous fiscal year.
DU Treasurer Prof M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury presented the proposed budget at the university's annual Senate meeting at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban on Monday.
For FY2026–27, the university sought Tk 1,422 crore from the government. However, the University Grants Commission (UGC) approved Tk 949 crore, covering 66.73 percent of the university’s demand. DU also expects to generate Tk 85 crore from its own sources. Even after its own income, DU is projected to face a budget deficit of Tk 83.85 crore to continue its regular operations.
As in previous years, the bulk of the budget has been allocated to salaries, allowances and other operational expenses, while funding for research remains comparatively limited.
The largest allocation, Tk 325.50 crore, has been earmarked for salaries, accounting for 31.5% of the total budget. Allowances received Tk 224.43 crore, or 21.72%, while Tk 222.98 crore, or 21.58%, has been allocated for goods and services. Pension and retirement benefits received Tk 150.29 crore, representing 14.55% of the proposed budget.
Research grants have been allocated Tk 21 crore, accounting for just 2.03% of the total budget, slightly down from 2.08% in the previous fiscal year.
Other notable allocations in the proposed budget include Tk 35.49 crore for miscellaneous grants, Tk 34.85 crore for equipment procurement, Tk 8.94 crore for vehicles, Tk 6.2 crore for ICT logistics and Tk 2.5 crore for other capital expenditures.
The budget structure highlights the university’s continued emphasis on meeting recurring operational expenses, while relatively limited allocations for research underscore the challenges of strengthening academic innovation and expanding research capacity.
Speaking at the Senate meeting, Treasurer Prof M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said there is no alternative to transforming Dhaka University into a full-fledged research university.
Expressing concern over funding constraints, he said the UGC had not allocated any funds specifically for the research sector in the FY2026-27 budget.
He said Bangladesh spends only around 0.3% of its GDP on research and development, far below countries such as India, China and South Korea.
According to the treasurer, leading universities across Asia allocate between 10 percent and 25 percent of their budgets to basic and applied research. In contrast, inadequate funding continues to constrain DU's ability to make the investments necessary for advancing research and innovation.
He also said the university remains heavily dependent on government funding, with most of its budget coming from allocations approved by the UGC.
