Jatiya Party chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad on Wednesday termed the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2017-18 as the finance minister’s “worst”, while demanding that the names of criminals involved in the Bangladesh Bank heist and other crimes in the banking sector be made public.
JaPa lawmaker HM Ershad made the statement while taking part in the general discussion on the proposed budget at parliament.
The JaPa chairman said: “The finance minister [AMA Muhith] when placing the budget said it was the best budget in his life, but in reality it was his worst. Recently I went to Rangpur, and the general people stopped me and said they were living in hardship as they need to buy rice at Tk50 per kg, and this budget would only increase their misery.”
“The FBCCI, MCCI, BGMEA, BKMEA, rickshaw pullers, labourers and small traders have all been in panic since the budget was placed,” he added.
“They said this budget is darkness.”
HM Ershad further said that the banking sector was suffering from “cancer” as hundreds of crores worth of money was being “looted and laundered,” especially in the share market.
“People want to know the names of criminals involved in this endless corruption,” he said, while also criticising that little is yet to be definitively known about the Bangladesh Bank heist perpetrators.
“Make their names public and punish them,” the JaPa chairman said.
Former president Ershad also proposed that the VAT on meditation courses and services, and all kinds of agriculture machineries be scrapped.
Opposition leader in the parliament Raushan Ershad also urged Finance Minister AMA Muhith to reconsider his proposals on implementing the 15% uniform VAT law and increasing excise duties on bank accounts.
Monday, July 20, 2026
