Interim government criticized for presenting proposed 2025–26 fiscal budget without democratic consultation or engagement with opposition

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has accused the current interim government of announcing the proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2025–26 without considering public opinion or consulting political stakeholders. The allegation was made during a press conference held on Wednesday, June 4, at the BNP Chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka.

BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, addressing the media, said that the government, which he described as lacking parliamentary legitimacy, should have engaged with opposition parties and the general public before presenting the budget. He claimed that in the absence of a democratically elected parliament, the government had a responsibility to build consensus with political forces involved in the anti-authoritarian movement.

During the press briefing, other senior BNP leaders were also present, including Standing Committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Selima Rahman, as well as Chairperson’s adviser Ismail Jabihullah, Media Cell member Shairul Kabir Khan, and members of the Chairperson’s Press Wing including Shamsuddin Didar.

Amir Khasru described the proposed budget as entirely routine and lacking innovation. He criticized the budgetary process for being out of touch with the country's pressing needs, calling it an example of conventional economic planning that does not reflect the complex realities of the current socio-political climate.

He particularly criticized the imposition of taxes in the education sector, questioning the rationale behind such measures. Khasru stated that if BNP were to come to power in the future, it would remove all taxes related to education, as the party believes education should be free from financial burdens imposed by the state.

Arguing for a more innovative approach to budget planning, he said the government missed an opportunity to think beyond traditional frameworks. According to him, the current political and economic context demanded an "out-of-the-box" approach to budgeting, which could have addressed the concerns of everyday citizens and reflected inclusive economic thinking.

Khasru concluded by reaffirming that the budget, as it stands, has been formulated without accountability or transparency, bypassing the democratic norms essential for a representative policy process. The BNP continues to call for broader engagement, inclusion of diverse perspectives, and an end to what they term as the government’s unilateral decisions made under an interim and undemocratic structure.