Although the BNP had expressed its reaction over proposed national budget and presented a shadow budget in the past, the party has refrained itself this time from analysing the budget proposal for fiscal 2014-15 which was placed by finance minister in the Parliament on Thursday.The party termed the present government as ‘illegal. For this reason, it has refrained itself from analysing the budget or presenting shadow budget this time. “The current illegal regime has no right to place the national budget in the Parliament,” said BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. He made the comment at a discussion on Thursday noon shortly before the presentation of the budget proposal by Finance Minister AMA Muhith. Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the BNP, arranged the discussion at the National Press Club to mark the 33rd death anniversary of BNP’s founder and former President Ziaur Rahman. BNP Vice-Chairman Shah Moazzem Hossan and former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr Emajuddin Ahmed also addressed the function, among others, with JCD president Abdul Kader Bhuiyan Juyel in the chair. Mirza Fakhrul said, “The illegal Parliament was formed through the one-sided and farcical Januray-5 election. The people did not cast their votes in the so-called election. So, the MPs are not real elected representatives. The government which will be elected by the people has only the right to place budget.” He said that they presented shadow budget in the past but this year they have not done it to this illegal government.Earlier, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at a meeting on May 24 said that the ‘illegal’ government had no legitimacy to place budget in the ‘illegal’ Parliament, as they are not people’s representatives.
