Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 was not an ambitious one, vowing to take Bangladesh one step forward through the implementation of the new budget.
"I do not consider the budget as an ambitious one. We will take Bangladesh one step ahead through the implementation of the budget," she said while taking part in the discussion on the proposed budget in parliament in Dhaka, reports BSS.
This is the largest ever budget in size of Tk 7,970 billion in the history of Bangladesh with Tk 2,650 billion Annual Development Programme (ADP) and 6.75 per cent growth rate, she said.
“Some people have called the budget an ambitious one while some others as a deficit one. It is not possible to implement the budget and we have to reduce the growth target and ADP,” she added.
The prime minister said they have the capability to take the challenge of implementing the budget.
"Taking on challenges is our job. We want to move forward by embracing these challenges, and we have been progressing by accepting them," she added.
Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury presided over the sitting of the third session of the 12th National Parliament.
On June 6, Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali placed Tk 7,970 billion national budget for FY25 in parliament, which is only 4.6 per cent bigger than that of the current fiscal year.
Sheikh Hasina said this budget is the first one of the fourth consecutive term of the Awami League government.
As many as 234 members of parliament, including the opposition leader, took part in the discussion over the budget and gave their valuable suggestions to implement it, she said.
Sheikh Hasina thanked all who discussed and criticised the budget in and outside the parliament.
She said her government has a specific target which they want to implement through the budget.
"It is true, it will not be possible to implement the budget cent per cent," she said.
The prime minister said they have given the budget of Tk 7.97 lakh crore which was only Tk 62 thousand crore during the regime of BNP-Jamaat alliance.
"We have been able to reach such a position (to give the largest budget) as we have taken the challenge," she said.
The prime minister said they have a target to change the fate of the people for which they have given the development budget.
"We have given allocation in the budget to continue the process of the country's development. There is nothing to cut from it (ADP)," she said.
The prime minister said Bangladesh has reached a dignified position on the global stage due to her government’s measures to ensure the country's overall development.
"We took loans and repaid it. We took development plans and implemented those and in this way changed the fortune of the masses," she said.
The prime minister suggested those who did not see any development in the country go to rural areas to know how the changes have been brought into the lives of rural people.
In this regard, she said that North Bengal earlier witnessed monga (famine-like situation) which has now vanished due to timely measures of her government.
"The people of Rangpur who did not take meals two times daily are eating rice four times," she said.
The prime minister said the FY25 budget has focused on the measures of building a developed, prosperous and Smart Bangladesh by 2041 free from hunger and poverty as envisioned by the father of the nation.
"We have been able to go one step forward to implement the plans to transform Bangladesh into a developed, prosperous and smart country by 2041," she said.
The budget has prioritised the 2024 election manifesto of the Awami League which is to change the fate of the countrymen by giving them a beautiful and improved life, she said.
"We belong to a political party. We never forget our election pledges to the nation as we always comply with those," she said.
In her budget speech, the prime minister said they have started drives against corruption and no one will be spared.
“We have started drives against corruption, no one will be saved, whoever he or she is, whoever will indulge in corruption, we will not spare,” she said.
She said that the budget proposed to legalise undisclosed money with the aim of bringing that money into the mainstream.
“The undisclosed money which was not disclosed due to various reasons needs to be taken to the mainstream of the economy. For that purpose, we have proposed to offer that amnesty,” she said.
She added that Khaleda Zia, Saifur Rahman and Dr Kamal Hossain also availed of this kind of opportunity in the past.
“This kind of opportunity was given often in the past too,” she said.
