The government has raised military spending to Tk 8,382 crore in the proposed budget.

Finance minister AMA Muhith, in his budget speech on Thursday, also proposed to raise the original allocation of Tk 7,967 crore in the current fiscal to Tk 8,196 crore in the revised budget for FY 2009-10.

He told parliament that the government was set to keep the armed forces "above all controversy." "Currently, we do not have any codified defence policy," Muhith said and added that they would follow a participatory approach in formulating a National Defence Policy.

The finance minister also stressed reinforcing diplomatic initiatives along with restructuring the defence system to ensure national security.