IG should have consulted the stakeholders and amended the statistics
Press Release: The Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) has expressed disappointment over the interim government’s failure to present a budget that offers clear guidance for economic recovery. They criticized the lack of consultation with political parties and other relevant stakeholders during the budget formulation process, noting that future elected governments will be responsible for its implementation and accountability. The party emphasized the need to reassess the budget’s size, formulation process, income-expenditure balance, and the long-standing reliance on debt and deficit based financing.

Asaduzzaman Fuaad, the party’s General Secretary and a barrister-at-law, stated that the interim government missed an opportunity to provide a transformative budget. He highlighted issues such as bureaucratic inefficiencies, artificial expenditure burdens, and the appointment of unskilled personnel, which have weakened the state institutions. Fuaad called for annual expenditures to align with national capabilities and urged the implementation of necessary reforms despite obstacles. ?

Mojibur Rahman Monju, AB Party Chairman, responded to journalists’ questions, acknowledging the Finance Advisor’s attempt to shift focus from traditional GDP-centric models to broader development concepts. However, he criticized the continuation of inflated GDP figures from the previous regime and the lack of concrete strategies to address inflation and economic challenges. Monju also condemned the provision allowing the legalization of undisclosed income in the real estate sector, labeling it unethical. 

The press conference stressed the importance of establishing good governance to enhance national capacity, especially as Bangladesh prepares to graduate from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) category by November 2026 which we feel is a wrong decision to have undertaken. The AB Party feels that the plan for LDC graduation needs to be suspended for greater national and economic interest.