The Bangladesh Nationalist Party accused the government of providing scope, to what it called the big fishes, to loot through the black wealth whitening provision in the proposed budget.
“Going through the budget, it is understood that a system has been kept for the big fishes to loot through the budget,” BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said while addressing a programme.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rob) organised the programme on Sirajul Alam Khan at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital. The government has drawn bitter criticism from various quarters for providing an opportunity to the illegal asset holders to legalize their illegal wealth sans any question by paying only 15 per cent tax.
About the provision for legalizing black money, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said that it (black money) should be brought into the legal network first.
“The money should be allowed to come to the appropriate place (the banking channel) first with payment of a nominal amount of money (tax) and then they will have to pay tax regularly…. If you go to catch fish, you need to provide bait ,” she said.
When the attention of the BNP secretary general was drawn to the PM’s remarks, he said, “It is a laughable matter. You people are involved in it (looting).”
“Such a system runs every year. How long will you deceive the people by making such statements?” he said.
Meanwhile, the BNP is scheduled to give its formal reaction on the proposed budget today (Sunday).
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir along with the standing committee members would come up with the official reaction to the proposed budget at a press conference, BNP media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan said.
He said the press meet would be held at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office at 3:00pm on Sunday. Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on Thursday placed a Tk 797,000 crore proposed national budget for 2024-25 in parliament.
