United News of Bangladesh

Treasury bench lawmakers on Tuesday strongly defended the proposed national budget for fiscal year 2026-27, describing it as people-oriented and welfare-focused, while dismissing opposition criticism as unfounded during a lively debate in Parliament. Participating in the budget discussion, ruling party MPs praised the proposed budget and thanked Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for what they termed a pro-people fiscal plan aimed at ensuring inclusive development. The debate saw sharp exchanges between treasury and opposition lawmakers over taxation, revenue targets and the overall direction of the budget. Opposition MPs argued that the revenue collection target set in the proposed budget was overly ambitious and warned that the burden of taxation on the middle class will increase. Responding to the criticism, BNP lawmaker Shariful Alam from Kishoreganj-6 said the opposition is criticising the budget merely for the sake of criticism. “The budget has increased taxes on alcohol and cigarettes, and that is perhaps why they do not like it,” he said. Reserved seat BNP MP Momtaj Alo also expressed frustration over the opposition’s stance, saying they were focusing only on selected aspects of the budget while ignoring its broader benefits. The discussion also featured a debate on the country’s road infrastructure. After an opposition MP raised concerns about dilapidated roads, BNP reserved seat member Zeeba Amina Khan blamed corruption during the previous administration for the current condition. Speaking largely in English during her 11-minute speech, she said, “The roads are in a very, very bad situation. This is due to corruption that you have seen from the previous regime.” Her remarks, which included occasional Bengali expressions, later attracted attention and humourous reactions on social media. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md Moktar Ali from Jashore-6 also delivered his speech in English, arguing that the proposed budget will increase the tax burden on citizens. Another Jamaat lawmaker, Md Abdus Sattar, criticised the budget, saying high inflation and ambitious revenue collection targets could place additional pressure on consumers through indirect taxation. He warned that opportunities to legalise undisclosed money remained in the budget and echoed economists’ concerns about potential risks and negative impacts on the economy. During his speech, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad intervened and asked the MP to refrain from using inappropriate expressions. The Speaker subsequently ordered an objectionable colloquial term to be expunged from the parliamentary record. Independent MP AZM Rezwanul Haque, elected after failing to secure a BNP nomination, praised the budget but proposed reductions in certain taxes. BNP MP Md Maminul Haque said the budget reflected the core commitments outlined in the BNP’s election manifesto. Another BNP lawmaker Mohammad Abu Sufian claimed the proposed budget was accepted by Parliament, the public and the international community. He noted that unlike previous years, prices of essential commodities did not go up immediately after the budget announcement. He also highlighted reductions in source taxes on around 60 essential items, including rice, wheat, potatoes, fish, onions, garlic, edible oil and sugar. Responding to opposition criticism, BNP reserved seat member Nipun Roy Chowdhury described the budget as a roadmap for building a non-discriminatory and welfare-oriented state.