Govt ignored dialogues with political parties before placing budget: BNP

BNP today said it had expected the interim government to engage in dialogue with the political parties involved in the ongoing movement to establish a minimal national consensus before announcing the national budget.

"If the interim government wanted, it could have sought opinions from various classes and professions of society. Experts, civil society members, businesspeople, and young representatives could also have participated," said BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury at a budget reaction press conference at the party chairperson's Gulshan office this morning.

"In that case, the budget would have symbolised a unified economic perspective," he added.

"The budget could have been a reflection of the voices of various segments of society. But that opportunity was not utilised," said Khosru.

He said had there been political engagement, the budget would not have been one-sided, lacking participation, or confined to conventional approaches. "It would have reflected new ideas," he said.

Referring to the current special circumstances, the BNP leader said political dialogue was more crucial than ever.

"The interim government says elections will be held between December and June, meaning an elected government will assume office within the 2025–26 fiscal year," said Khosru.

He said that many countries following the Westminster tradition have well-defined interim governance protocols—something Bangladesh lacks.

"When a general election is near or a new government is expected, there are different ways to approve a budget. An interim government does not usually make significant policy-structural changes, nor does it introduce notable tax adjustments or commit to new large-scale financial programmes," he said.

"If a political dialogue had taken place, budget allocations could have been reorganised practically, based on consensus," he added.

The BNP has repeatedly demanded that an elected government, with broad-based support, should lead economic planning to ensure transparency and accountability in national budgeting.