BNP slams budget as ‘unilateral’

The BNP yesterday said it had expected the interim government to hold talks with parties involved in the July uprising to build a minimal national consensus before announcing the national budget.

The party also described the proposed budget for the fiscal 2025-26 as "unilateral, traditional, and non-participatory", adding that it lacks concrete strategies to address persistent economic challenges, such as rising inflation and worsening poverty.

The BNP has laid out a 180-day action plan focused on education, healthcare, women's rights, rural development, and honouring martyrs if voted to power.

"If the interim government had wanted, it could have sought opinions from people of various classes and professions. Experts, civil society members, businesspeople, and youth representatives could also have participated. In that case, the budget would have symbolised a unified economic perspective," BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury told a press conference on the party's budget reaction held at the BNP chairperson's office in Gulshan.

"The budget could have reflected the voices of various sections of society, but that opportunity has been missed."

The BNP leader said that if there had been political dialogue, the budget would not have been one-sided, lacking participation, or confined to conventional approaches.

"It would have reflected new ideas," he said, adding that under the current exceptional circumstances, political engagement is more critical than ever.

He further noted that if dialogue had taken place, budget allocations could have been restructured based on consensus.

Reading out a statement, Khosru said, "According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, GDP growth in the 2024-25 fiscal year was 3.97 percent. Yet in the current budget, it is projected at 5.6 percent, which, like previous governments, is unrealistic and merely growth on paper.

"Food security is under threat. The apparent increase in allocation by including pensions and agricultural subsidies under the inadequate, flawed, and corruption-prone social safety net is misleading. Despite this, allocations for social protection remain inadequate."

He also expressed concern over reduced allocations in key sectors such as education, healthcare, and agriculture.

Private universities, medical colleges, colleges, and schools could have been granted full tax exemption, he said, adding that BNP will ensure this if it comes to power.

The press conference was also attended by BNP Standing Committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Selima Rahman, and chairperson's Adviser Ismail Jabiullah.

As part of BNP's 180-day action plan, it will launch a review of all foreign loans taken during the autocratic regime and request the UN secretary general to form an independent commission, and a list will be prepared of those killed and injured during the July uprising and the 16-year anti-fascist movement to facilitate assistance for them.