Lawmakers form treasury and opposition benches on Monday termed the proposed budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year as pro-people that would transform Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021 by reducing the poverty rate down to a significant level.Taking part in a general discussion on the proposed fiscal plan, they said the government would be able to fulfill the target of building a hunger-free developed country by 2041 through implementing the huge budget under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The new budget is oversized and highly ambitious but it is the reflection of the government’s development strategies being devised since the Awami League-led government assumed office, the MPs said appreciating the budget and demanding more allocation for education, agriculture and health sectors and Taka 500 crore for the enclave peoples.
Jatiya Party Chairman and Special Envoy to the Prime Minister, H M Ershad, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Suranjit Sengupta and Chief Whip ASM Feroz, among others, took part in the discussion.
Former President H M Ershad hoped that Bangladesh would go far ahead by fulfilling its desired targets for ensuring economic emancipation of the mass people through implementing the new budget.
He mentioned two visions in the proposed budget, which are establishing a digital Bangladesh and transforming Bangladesh into a middle-income country in line with the Vision-2021 as part of materializing the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“Bangabandhu showed the dream while his beloved daughter and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will have to materialize it to give our people economic freedom through her charismatic and visionary leadership,” he said.
He categorically said that the desired development goal is possible to achieve, if everyone irrespective of their political affiliations work together to build a “Sonar Bangla” of Father of the Nation.
The former President requested the government to take action against to those involved in capital market scam and siphoning off crores of money to the Swiss Banks.
“We can’t open any account there (Swiss Bank) but the corrupt individuals deposit huge money through laundering. They must be brought to book at any cost,” Ershad said urging the Prime Minister to take immediate actions in this connection.
Giving a salient feature of the budgetary allocation, he said the authorities concerned should withdraw the allocation of Taka 5,000 crore for the state-run banks and increase allocation for education, health and agriculture sectors. About establishing 135 universities across the country, Ershad expressed grave concern over the quality of education at present time and said, “Rate of education has sharply increased but the quality hasn’t developed in that way.” He pleaded for a census on ‘unemployed educated people’ as he termed it as a ‘time-bomb’ and also a burden for the country. “The government should take necessary measures in this regard in the interest of the country,” he added. The JP chairman urged all concerned to take a pragmatic step as well as necessary action against the drug abuse and terrorists activities to save the county’s new generation.
