Budget designed to plunder nat’l wealth: BNP

There is also no direction in the budget to prevent widespread corruption and money laundering.

— Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir BNP secretary general

Terming the proposed budget for anti-people and deceptive, BNP yesterday said it has been designed to loot several billion dollars of national wealth under the shelter of a corrupt regime.

Speaking at a press conference, party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also said it will not be possible to ensure people's welfare through the budget.

BNP arranged the press conference to give the party's formal reaction to the proposed budget.

In the budget, Fakhrul said, the finance minister did not acknowledge the ongoing economic crisis, growing income disparity, dwindling foreign exchange reserves, rampant money laundering, and huge debt burden on the shoulders of the country's people.

He said the government also did not give any outline in the budget about how to overcome the economic crises and challenges and completely avoided the concept of good governance and justice.

"There is also no direction in the budget to prevent widespread corruption and money laundering," he observed.

He said all arrangements have been made in the budget to smartly loot lakhs of crores of taka, plunder banks, and public money through a syndicate.

He said an accountable, democratic, and responsible elected government must be established to get rid of the ongoing national crisis. "The only way to do this is to hold a free, fair, impartial, inclusive and acceptable election under a polls-time impartial government."