Opposition lawmaker Shahjahan Chowdhury on Saturday said Finance Minister presented a businessmen-friendly budget instead of one reflecting the interests of the country's 18 crore people.
“You are from a business family. So, you gave a business-friendly budget,” he told Parliament, pointing at the finance minister.
The Jamaat-e-Islami MP, elected from Chattogram-15 constituency, made this remark, participating in the discussion on the proposed national budget for 2026-2027 fiscal year in the House.
Shahajan Chowdhury said the current Parliament carries unprecedented expectations from the people of Bangladesh.
“This Parliament is not like those of the past 54 years. Eighteen crore people have formed this Parliament with enormous hopes and aspirations,” he said.
Referring to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's recent visits to Malaysia and China, Shahjahan said the unanimous adoption of a thanksgiving motion in Parliament reflected the spirit of Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman's slogan, “Let's build Bangladesh together.”
Talking about the budget, he said he had expected a people-oriented budget from a person who had served as president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry and chairman of the Chittagong Stock Exchange.
“But you did not present a budget for 18 crore people….Is Bangladesh only for businessmen? No. Bangladesh belongs to its 18 crore people—farmers, workers, labourers and people from all walks of life,” said Shahjahan Chowhdury.
He also recalled former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, saying he used to consult opposition leaders before finalising the national budget and sought their cooperation.
The Jamaat MP questioned whether those who prepared the current budget reflected the spirit of the July movement, alleging that many of the same officials who had prepared budgets during the previous Awami League government were involved in drafting the current one.
Emphasising the importance of agriculture, he urged the government to increase budgetary allocations for the sector, saying Bangladesh cannot survive without its farmers.
With domestic gas demand rising, he also proposed increasing allocations for gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal, noting that gas is extracted from nearby offshore areas by neighbouring country.
The Jamaat MP also criticised Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed over his remarks regarding Jamaat-e-Islami, saying people in Chattogram now joke that there is no need to go to madrasas for religious verdicts as “fatwas are now being issued in Parliament.
Referring to the home minister's comments that Jamaat-e-Islami is not an Islamic party, Shahjahan said there was no need for anyone to issue a religious verdict on the matter.
“To understand Jamaat-e-Islami, one has to know its 100-year history. Whether it is an Islamic party or something else does not require anyone's fatwa,” he said.
In a sarcastic remark apparently aimed at the home minister, Shahjahan said, “People in Chattogram now call him the modern-day Mufti, but he does not even know Alif, Ba, Ta.”
The opposition MP also alleged that although four months have passed since the current government assumed office, it has failed to stop corruption in the power sector in the name of capacity charge, while people are still not receiving uninterrupted electricity services.
He further alleged that Tk 85,000 crore had looted from Islami Bank and claimed that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana had laundered large sums of money abroad, alleging that the finance minister did not mention those issues in his budget speech.
Shahjahan also criticised the government for failing to outline an effective strategy to combat corruption, claiming it had yet to reconstitute the Anti-Corruption Commission and had instead reduced allocations for anti-corruption efforts.
He urged the government to increase allocations for several ministries, particularly the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment.
The Jamaat lawmaker also called for the modernisation of Chattogram Port, saying large vessels still cannot berth directly at the port, increasing costs and reducing efficiency.
“We have to modernise Chattogram Port and develop it along the lines of Singapore,” he said, recalling that former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia had declared Chattogram the country's commercial capital.