FROM PAGE 12

dialogue, the budget would not have been one-sided, lacking participation, or confined to conventional approaches.

“It would have reflected new ideas,” he said, adding that under the current exceptional circumstances, political engagement is more critical than ever.

He further noted that if dialogue had taken place, budget allocations could have been restructured based on consensus.

Reading out a statement, Khosru said, “According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, GDP growth in the 2024-25 fiscal year was 3.97 percent. Yet in the current budget, it is projected at 5.6 percent, which, like previous governments, is unrealistic and merely growth on paper.

“Food security is under threat. The apparent increase in allocation by including pensions and agricultural subsidies under the inadequate, flawed, and corruption-prone social safety net is misleading. Despite this, allocations for social protection remain inadequate.”

He also expressed concern over reduced allocations in key sectors such as education, healthcare, and agriculture.

Private universities, medical colleges, colleges, and schools could have been granted full tax exemption, he said, adding that BNP will ensure this if it comes to power.

The press conference was also attended by BNP Standing Committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Selima Rahman, and chairperson’s Adviser Ismail Jabiullah.

As part of BNP’s 180-day action plan, it will launch a review of all foreign loans taken during the autocratic regime and request the UN secretary general to form an independent commission, and a list will be prepared of those killed and injured during the July uprising and the 16-year anti-fascist movement to facilitate assistance for them.