Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal proposed allocating Tk 5.87 billion for the cultural affairs ministry on Thursday, as part of his announcement of the FY22 budget.
The allocation is Tk 80 million more than the elapsing budget for FY21.
The amount is 0.098 per cent of the proposed deficit national budget of Tk 6.03 trillion.
However, cultural activists expressed disappointment over the total allocation, saying that the amount needs to be at least 1.0 per cent of the total budget.
"More than 500 theatre organisations 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.
"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.
