“A budget, which will let us breathe a sigh of relief”

Finance Minister, AHM Mustafa Kamal will be presenting the proposed budget for the financial year of 2022-2023 on Thursday, June 9, 2022. Alongside the general public, Bangladeshi celebrities and stars also have certain expectations from the government in regards to the upcoming budget.

Actor Sohel Rana, musician Kumar Bishwajit, actor Riaz Ahmed and actress Meher Afroz Shaon spoke to The Daily Star about their expectations for the budget.

Actor Sohel Rana said, "We have gone through the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years. are going through a war now.  I have been through the corona epidemic for the last two years.  Before anything else, we need food, clothing, good medical facilities to survive. We must ensure that the prices of these things are kept stable. I would also request that all essential foreign products are charged with less VAT."

He also added, "After the war we went through with COVID-19, now we are seeing the war between Russia and Ukraine. Naturally, we are currently in the midst of an economic war. To win this war, we must all together. Relying solely on the government will not help us win. If necessary, the government may have to subsidise a lot of products so that they are still affordable."

Musician Kumar Bishwajit told The Daily Star, "It's been two years since the pandemic, and now we're seeing the war on Ukraine. We're truly going through some sad times.  Naturally, the economy of our country has been affected. So, my expectation for the budget is that everything should be made affordable for the masses. The first priority should be food, clothing, shelter, medical treatment, education, etc.  After that, we can think about the budget for music and culture."

Actor Riaz had this to say about the upcoming budget, "The budget always seems a difficult topic for me, as I do not understand it that well. But, I want everyone to live a good and happy life. I hope that the price of goods and services do not increase. I know that in other countries, whether due to war or COVID, the price of many things have gone up. However, I want the government to set a budget that ensure that the people of Bangladesh are well."

Actress Meher Afroz Shaon added her two cents about the budget, "I expect a budget   that will allow for the common man to survive. Those of us who buy from super-shops, we do not have to worry about pries that much. But even we are struggling due to the recent rice prices of goods and commodities. So, I can understand the general public must also be struggling and suffering. I can only hope that the government will put forth a budget that will be good for everyone. A budget, which will let us all breathe a sigh of relief."