Opposition Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Rafiqul Islam Khan on Saturday criticized Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, alleging that he had failed to maintain law and order, which had emerged as the biggest barrier to implementing the proposed national budget.

“The current law and order situation has now become the biggest obstacle to implementing the budget and also solving the problems of Bangladesh,” he said in Parliament.

Budget favours businessmen over 18 crore people, alleges Jamaat MP

The Jamaat MP, elected from Sirajganj-4 constituency, said this while taking part in the general discussion on the proposed national budget for 2026-2027 fiscal year in the House.

Referring to a recent report by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Rafiqul Islam claimed that 605 people were killed and 196 others were subjected to enforced disappearance during the first 100 days of the current government.

"The 605 people killed include 288 members of the ruling party. If the government cannot ensure the safety of its own party members, how can the general people expect security for their lives from this government?" he said.

Rafiqul alleged that despite the Home Minister's competence from every aspect and speaking on various ministerial affairs, he had failed in his primary responsibility of maintaining law and order.

"I think the Home Minister has failed to maintain law and order," he said

Criticizing the proposed budget, Rafiqul said it was not people-friendly but rather one that would exploit the poor.

He said though the government claimed that the prices of commodities didn’t go high after the placement of the proposed budget, the prices of essential items already increased before the budget was placed.

"This is truly a budget that hurts the poor. I don't want to call it a budget for looting, but there is no doubt that it is a budget that will exploit the poor," he said.

Citing price hikes, he said the price of a LPG cylinder had increased by 28.9 percent ( to Tk 1,728 from Tk 1,341), while diesel rose by Tk 15 per litre, kerosene by Tk 18, petrol by Tk 19, broiler chicken by Tk 15 per kg, Sonali chicken by Tk 100 per kg, and eggs by Tk 10 per dozen.

"It raises the question whether our friends in the ruling party actually go to the market," he remarked.

Questioning the government's macroeconomic projections, Rafiqul said the budget projected GDP growth at 6.5 percent, while the World Bank forecast a maximum growth of only 4.6 percent.

Similarly, he noted that although the budget targeted inflation at 7.5 percent, the inflation rate had already reached 9.42 percent in May.

"So, the inflation target has already failed. This cannot be called a people-friendly budget," he said.

He also criticized the growing volume of defaulted bank loans and expressed concern over the country's rising debt burden.

Noting that the ruling party cancelled the referendum verdict with its majority in Parliament, he demanded the implementation of the referendum verdict as 70 people voted for ‘yes’ in the referendum.

He warned that ignoring the people's verdict on the referendum issue could have serious consequences.

Rafiqul also proposed redefining Bangladesh's fiscal year to match the calendar year from January to December.

Welcoming the budgetary allocation of honorarium for imams and muezzins, he urged the government to introduce a similar allowance for priests and religious functionaries of other faiths serving in places of worship in the country.

He also called for the nationalisation of Ebtedayee madrasas after proper verification, saying their students and teachers have long remained neglected.

Appreciating the government's decision to provide allowances for the families of the July heroes, Rafiqul urged that similar financial assistance and rehabilitation programmes be introduced for those who were killed, forcibly disappeared or abducted during the Awami League's 16-year rule.

The Jamaat MP also criticized the government for not taking steps to bring back former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other leaders of what he termed the "fascist regime" despite several months in office.

He urged the government to bring them back to Bangladesh and bring them to trial and justices.

Rafiqul further called for a stronger drive against corruption, saying corrupt persons cannot belong to any political party but are enemies of both the country and its people.

He urged the government to recover money laundered abroad and vowed to build "a poverty-free, terrorism-free, corruption-free and humane Bangladesh."