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is inclusive,” he said while taking part at the discussion on the proposed budget at the Parliament yesterday.

He took part in the discussion as the Leader of the House.

Terming the budget as “life-friendly budget”, realistic and practical Tarique said it is framed in a way so it can bring relief to people from all walks of life.

Highlighting the budget’s consumer-friendly measures, the Prime Minister said taxes and duties on 61 essential commodities were withdrawn, Tarique said “we did not witness abnormal price hike this time. Through the withdrawal of taxes on essential goods, we believe we have been able to fulfil at least part of our responsibility to the people and provide them with some relief.”

The prime minister also spoke at length about the economic situation inherited by his government when it assumed office on February 18.

He said the government had taken charge of a fragile economy marked by corruption, mismanagement, looting of public resources and policy failures.

“We inherited a broken economy. Corruption, looting, mismanagement and wrong policies had severely damaged the country’s economic foundations,” the Prime Minister said.

Tarique said large-scale capital flight, declining investment and soaring inflation had left ordinary people struggling in the years before his government took office.

“Thousands of crores of taka were siphoned out of the country. Production and investment had nearly stagnated. Inflation had reached a level that people could feel in their daily lives,” he said.

Tarique also referred to difficulties in the capital market, saying many investors had lost their savings, while foreign exchange reserves had come under severe pressure due to capital flight and wasteful expenditure.

“The stock market, a vital sector of the economy, reached a point where people lost everything. Some even took their own lives after losing their savings,” he said.

The prime minister also outlined his vision of a Bangladesh where development is rooted in justice, the economy is inclusive, the state is accountable, and citizens’ lives are safe, dignified and full of opportunities.

He said the true strength of a state lies not in its wealth, but in good governance, justice, accountability and public trust, adding that sustainable development requires not only economic reforms but also good governance across all spheres of administration.

Tarique Rahman said people now demand a state founded on justice, transparency and accountability. “Fulfilling this aspiration is not only the responsibility of the present government, but of the entire parliament, working together from our respective positions,” he said.

Highlighting democracy, the rule of law and human rights, the prime minister stressed the need for an independent judiciary and justice delivered to people’s doorsteps.

He said the government had already expanded the Legal Aid Programme introduced by former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia. He also noted that this year’s budget had increased allocations for the judiciary and requested the finance and planning minister to provide an additional Tk 100 crore to the Supreme Court and Tk 500 crore to the law ministry to address judges’ housing, research needs and shortages of court buildings.

He further said there was no alternative to an efficient, honest and professional public administration in a democratic system.

“If we want to receive services, our administration must be made efficient. To deliver services to the people, we must ensure their full participation in nation-building by making the administration accountable, while also maintaining fair pay structures, training, and a work environment free from unnecessary political interference,” he said.

The prime minister pledged to overcome deep-rooted corruption, malpractice and irregularities that have long crippled the economy. “We are committed to overcoming these challenges, and we pledge this to the people,” he said.