The proposed Tk 5,23,190-crore budget for FY20 aims at expedite the government’s endeavour to materialise Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s dream of establishing ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal). Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in his budget speech spoke of embarking on a ‘Sonali Juddho’ (Golden War) to build a prosperous future for Bangladesh eliminating poverty and disparity of all sorts.
Leaders of the ruling Awami League have welcomed the proposed budget, terming it pragmatic, development-oriented and welfare-friendly. They said it would help materialise Bangabandhu’s dream as well. “The ruling AL wants to establish starvation and poverty-free Bangladesh as dreamt by the Father of the Nation. And the proposed budget will help do so,” Mohammad Nasim, AL presidium member and the 14-party spokesperson told reporters.
He said the day is not far away when Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s dream of ‘Sonar Bangla’ would be realized. “Bangabandhu had been able to reach the goal of liberating Bangladesh from the shackle of longstanding subjugation, but he could not fulfill his second dream of giving the country the aspired economic emancipation,” Nasim continues, “The unfulfilled dream of the Father of the Nation is remaining ahead us, which is being materialized by his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.”
The proposed budget expects the poverty rate be brought down by 10 percent in the next four years through a coordinated approach engaging the private sector to supplement the government’s anti-poverty initiatives. In the proposed budget, the government has declared to reduce poverty to 12.30 percent and the extreme poverty rate to 4.50 percent by 2023-24, as Tk 74,367 crore was proposed in the national budget for 2019-20 fiscal (FY 20).
The proposed budget aims at creating about 10 million new jobs in the economic zones across the country as the establishment of 100 EZs is in progress for employment generation through increased investment. Besides, communication infrastructure sector that plays vital role in establishing an integrated and uninterrupted communication network in country, has also been attached the highest importance in the proposed budget.
Apart from these, the government has also increased the allocation for education and health sectors in the proposed budget in order to ensure health service and education for all. As the government plans to turn villages into towns in line with the ruling party’s election manifesto, it has allocated budget to implement 206 projects.
Special allocations for backward regions, char areas and marginal population have given the proposed budget a pro-people, time-befitting and realistic shape, according to analysts. On the other hand, as the government plans to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu at the national level between March 17, 2020 and March 17, 2021, this fiscal budget is very realistic and time-befitting.
Bangladesh is making long strides in all sectors of the economy and Sheikh Hasina has been rated No. 3 in the Global Integrity Index. Country’s people now say this is the true reflection of deep trust and confidence in Bangabandhu and the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
However, since the country’s independence, the anti-liberation forces kept trying to wipe out the ideals and principles of Bangabandhu and tarnish the image of sovereign Bangladesh through various terrorist activities.
But the Bangalee is a nation of intrepidity. The present government under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the illustrious daughter of Bangabandhu, is making untiring efforts for the progress and development of the country. Bangladesh, in the meantime, is considered worldwide as a ‘role model’ for its development in various sectors including education, health, agriculture, information technology, empowerment of women etc.
The government is pledge-bound to continue the advancement of the country by implementing the unfinished tasks of this great leader imbued with the spirit of War of Liberation, which is reflected in the budget proposal for FY2020.
