The government needs to increase the budget for the health sector to help citizens get rid of health expenditure burden, former Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Atiur Rahman said.

Of the total health expenditure in Bangladesh, 73 percent comes from the pockets of citizens while 27 percent comes from the health budget, he said.

He made the call while speaking at an online discussion titled ‘National Policy Dialogue on Health Budget’ organised by non-government think tank Unnayan Shamannay, says a press release.

Lawmakers AFM Ruhal Haque, Pankaj Nath, Md Amirul Alam, Lutfun Nesa Kan, and Aroma Dutta took part at the event. 

BIDS Director General Dr Binayak Sen, Dhaka University Professor Dr Syed Abdul Hamid, and eminent sociologist Khondoker Shakhawat Ali took part as specialist discussants.