The BNP that ruled the country for over 10 years in two terms since the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh in 1990 is struggling to come up with formal reactions to the proposed budget for fiscal 2016-17.
After the demise of former finance minister and BNP founding member M Saifur Rahman in 2009, experts from the party — former World Bank official Osman Faruk, former science and ICT minister Moyeen Khan, former cabinet secretary MK Anwar and former commerce minister Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury — used to give reactions to national budgets on the party’s behalf.
While the party was in opposition between 2009 and 2013, it placed “budget thoughts” through a press conference before the placing of budget proposal in parliament, in addition to giving post-budget reactions. In the last two years, they did not place “budget thoughts” but duly gave post-budget reactions.
This time, the BNP is yet to make responses formally though four days have gone by after the finance minister placed the budget proposal in parliament.
Most of the party leaders who used to give expert opinions on budgets have either become inactive in the political arena or fallen sick or are staying out of the country, party sources said.
Osman Faruk, an adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, is not appearing in public and has remained inactive in the party activities since early last month when the investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal decided to launch a probe into the charges brought against him.
Another key man, BNP standing committee member MK Anwar who came out of jail in April has been suffering from different diseases, said Sairul Kabir Khan, a staff of BNP chairperson’s media wing.
BNP standing committee member Moyeen Khan is now visiting the US on an invitation of the Democratic Party to observe the country’s presidential election, Sairul added.
Amir Khashru is also in the US now, party sources said.
On instructions of the BNP chief, Dhaka University Prof Mahbub Ullah is preparing budget reactions on behalf of the party, BNP sources said.
The party may come up with its delayed reactions to the proposed budget after BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir returns to Dhaka today from Dinajpur, according to a party source.
Although there was no formal reaction from the BNP, its Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed yesterday at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office described the proposed budget as “anti-people and pro-plunderers.”
Source: The daily Star
Comments on Budget
Budget expresses the will of the ruler, written in the language of his faithful finance minister but without wisdom on gain or loss to the common people. It creates work losses time losses, revenue losses but it creates enough surplus for distribution among the elites of media two make it a hot topics for some time, leaving aside issues of poverty alleviation, boosting of health, education, housing and other essential needs of human life.
Budgets had been tools of two dynastic autocracy and two dictatorial autocracy, Who has not allowed the democratic and other state institutions. Their main objective is to prolong the in power by exploiting all public and private resources and buy all branches of forces, the bureaucracy and judiciary besides a group of yes Ma’am people called peoples representative who finds a place in the house using subservient institutions like election commission, the law enforcing bodies, besides power of money muscle and media. Every election takes tolls of human life in direct confrontation, in secret elimination and in encounters.
Whoever be at power, AL, BNP, Ershad, Zia reincarnate, the scenario remain unchanged except the gradual superiority gained in strategy and Technic to put the fools call people stare at this game as dump flock of Sheep. I mean those who have intelligence but behave like dump when it benefits them and those who are really dump
I quote below part of a poem from Shamsul Huq:
ভেড়ীরে ভেড়ী,
ডানে বললে ডানে যাস,
বায়ে বললে বায়ে
তুই ত ভেড়াই রবি চিরকাল
Bheri re Bheri,
Dane baklle dane jas
Baye balle Baye
Tui to Bherai raibi chirokal