It’s to promote black money

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said termed proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 black money-friendly, saying it will further widen scope for corruption in the country.

"This budget is for promoting black money. This is also the budget of how black money can be whitened, corruption can be expanded, and money can be made [illegally]," he said.

Speaking at a seminar, he said the budget was not formulated for people's welfare.

"There is no need to talk about the budget. You see the cartoon on the front page of The Daily Star, where a huge elephant is sitting on top of many ordinary farmers, workers, hardworking people… This brilliant cartoon has depicted a clear picture of the budget," he said.

Fakhrul said the government has allocated a huge amount of money for unproductive sectors for creating more scopes to plunder public money.

"Sonali Dal," a panel of teachers of Bangladesh Agricultural University, arranged the event at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU), marking the 43rd death anniversary of former president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.

Fakhrul slammed the government for increasing the tax on capital machinery in the proposed budget. "What is the meaning of increasing tax on capital machinery? The meaning is that there should be no industry and factory here as machinery cannot be imported."

He said people are going through a very tough time due to a lack of employment and earning sources. "Those who used to do small business and work here in Dhaka are now moving to the villages for a lack of jobs. But they're also facing a terrible situation as there is no work there as well."

"This government is sustaining on lies. All statistics of this regime are false and fabricated. On which statistics will you make a plan? Benazir's (former IGP) corruption is everywhere now... Benazir is everywhere now," the BNP leader said.