Budget FY 23-24: Mixed reactions in political arena

Staff Reporter :
Mixed reactions have been got over the proposed budget for the next fiscal year placed by the Finance Minister in the national parliament on Thursday.

Opposition BNP termed it as a smart way of looting and laundering money while the ruling Awami League marked it as a poor friendly one.

Meanwhile Jatiya Party said it is a election friendly budget for the government which will give the ruling party advantages in the next polls.

In a reaction to the proposed budget of 2023-24 fiscal, on Thursday night, BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has said the proposed national budget is a smart one for looting and laundering money for the ruling party men. Amir Khasru was giving his reactions to reporters at his residence at Banani in the capital.

“It would be budget of looting and laundering billions of taka from the Bangladesh’s banking sector in a smart way,” Amir Khasru said.

Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said that a budget should reflect the political thought of the government and at the same time, welfare of people. “But, those who are now in power are illegal power grabbers.

Their budget won’t reflect their political thought and welfare of people. Rather, their own thought would be reflected in the budget,” he said.

Amir Khasru said, “About 42 per cent of the country’s population have become poor. Some 52 per cent of people in Dhaka have become poor due to the new model of ‘Awami Economics.”

In fact, Awami League is getting benefited constantly, while the country’s people are turning into poor. People’s living standard is going down. They have adopted the tactics of taking out money from the public’s pockets, the BNP leader said.

On the other hand, Awami League General Secretary and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said the proposed budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year is a poor people friendly one.

He was speaking at a media briefing on the proposed budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Thursday.

Obidul Quader said, “Bangladesh is turning around. Commodity prices have now started falling in several areas. The budget was made in such a way that people’s suffering will be eased. The price of goods will be within the purchasing power of people.”

Meanwhile, Jatiya Party Chairman Golam Mohammad Kader said the proposed budget is full with the governments as well the ruling party’s election overcoming tactics.

“It will give the AL advantages in the next election,” GM Kader told journalists in a reaction over the proposed budget.