Most of the political parties in the country rejected the proposed national budget for the financial year 2024–25 on Thursday, saying that it was not pro-people and would rather encourage corruption.
They said that the proposed budget had no guidelines for building a strong economy.
The parties, in their immediate reactions to the proposed budget, were critical of the government and said that the allocations in important sectors, including health, agriculture, employment, and education, were not enough to tackle the present crisis.
Finance minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali placed the proposed budget of Tk 7.97 lakh crore in the parliament on Thursday.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party called the proposed budget a ‘new plan of looting,’ claiming that it was intended to benefit those who plunder.
Jatiya Party chairman and leader of the opposition, Ghulam Muhammad Quader, in a reaction, termed the budget a traditional and unrealistic one, saying that the proposed budget would increase the tax burden on the people of the country.
In a press statement, Communist Party of Bangladesh president Mohammad Shah Alam and general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said that the budget had failed to make adequate allocations for mass people.
It would only serve the purpose of 1 per cent rich people in the country.
Moreover, it would increase the suffering of the common people by extending their tax burden at a time when their income was decreasing.
Socialist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz said that the budget was loan-dependent and the allocations in the health, education, agriculture, and social safety sectors were insufficient.
He demanded sufficient allocation to the social security sector.
Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki said that the proposed budget would encourage looters and increase the suffering of the common people.
Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh general secretary Saiful Huq said that there was no indication in the budget about how the welfare of the common people would be ensured.
The government had formulated a budget for rich people, he said.
He demanded more allocation for the welfare of commoners.
The Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist) will hold a rally in front of the National Press Club at 11:00am on Friday, rejecting the budget.
Gono Forum president Mostafa Mohsin Montu and general secretary Subrata Chowdhury, in a press statement, rejected the proposed budget.Â
Garment Sramik Samhati also rejected the proposed budget, saying it would serve the purpose of the rich.
President of the organisation Taslima Akhter and general secretary Babul Hossain, in a press statement, said that in the budget there was no specific allocation for the welfare of the garment workers.