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“To ensure existing taxpayers are not burdened with higher taxes or tax rates, we are expanding the tax base,” he said.

“Suppliers and retailers are being brought into the tax chain. The amount is very small -- just Tk 2 on every Tk 1,000. The objective is not to raise large revenue, but to bring everyone under a structured system,” he added.

Mohammad Hatem, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the proposed budget includes some reforms in tax management, but several provisions could worsen challenges for the garment sector.

Chartered accountant Snehasish Barua said restoring the 5 percent personal income tax slab is necessary to ease pressure on low- and middle-income taxpayers.

He warned that rising corporate tax rates and higher effective tax burdens could increase the risk of capital flight, affecting investment and jobs.

Rizwan Rahman, former president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, questioned increased spending on education, saying governance and accountability matter more than higher allocations.

He added that the budget offers no meaningful improvement in access to finance for small and medium enterprises and suggested a revised classification, separating medium enterprises while grouping cottage, micro and small businesses to enable more targeted policy support.

Bdjobs founder Fahim Mashroor said indirect taxation remains one of the biggest injustices in the tax system, noting that a rickshaw puller and a wealthy consumer pay the same tax rate on mobile talk time despite large income differences.

In his keynote speech, Tamim Ahmed, senior research associate at CPD, called for major tax reforms to improve fairness, transparency and compliance.

He stressed the need for VAT reform, tariff rationalisation, digitisation of the NBR, stricter enforcement and institutional reforms to build a transparent and efficient tax system.