Proposed budget detached from reality: BNP's Khasru

The BNP has strongly criticised the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, labelling it as unrealistic and lacking in structural or qualitative reforms. 

Speaking at a press conference at a hotel in Dhaka this afternoon (2 June), BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said the budget does not reflect the realities of the country's economic conditions, according to media reports.

Khasru argued that the budget's size and structure have no clear alignment with revenue generation. 

"If the government takes loans from banks, it hampers investment in the private sector. The entire revenue income will be consumed by operational expenses," he said.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the fundamental aspects of the budget, he said, "We see no qualitative improvement, and the structure remains the same as before."

He emphasised that the budget should have been proportionate to revenue income. 

"But that hasn't happened. The entire revenue will go toward operating costs, which means the development budget will be reliant on loans — both domestic and foreign — ultimately harming the economy."

Khasru, a former minister, pointed out that relying on revenue-based budgeting would have ensured liquidity in the private sector, boosted investment, lowered interest rates, and reduced dependency on foreign loans. "But we have failed to move in that direction. The core mistakes remain."

The senior BNP leader noted that the current foreign debt stands at around $3.8 billion and warned that the size of the budget should have been smaller, considering revenue constraints. 

"There has been no meaningful qualitative change. Only the numbers have slightly decreased, while the fundamental structure remains similar to that of the previous government. This will not make things any easier for the next administration," he added.