BNP terms budget anti-people
BNP leaders have termed the budget proposals as big sized, but said it was like taking borrowings with clarified butter. They said there are no directions about whitening black money, establishing good governance and ensuring fair price for agricultural products. The BNP leaders felt the budget was one-sided and anti-people. Talking to The Independent, BNP standing committee member, Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman, said a budget should be realistic, not hypothetical. He questioned the legitimacy of Parliament, and said the government should have discussed the budget with all political parties to make it pro-people. The BNP policymaker criticised the government for repeatedly giving the opportunity to whiten black money and said it is unfair. After whitening the money, it is being siphoned of to other countries but there is no guideline. There is also no direction to curb corruption, he said. In his personal reaction, BNP chairpersons adviser and former commerce minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said the budget, placed in an unelected Parliament, is questionable.
He said growth has remained within six per cent for the past six-seven years. The main reason for this is lack of investment. He said the BNP would not give any formal reaction to the budget since they do not recognise the government.
