National Citizen Party lawmaker and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam slammed the proposed national budget, asking whether it would be wrong to call it a ‘document of deception’.
He also questioned the government’s reform narrative as he took part in the general discussion on the proposed national budget for the financial year 2026–27 in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad on Sunday.
The lawmaker said that the finance minister had talked about economic democratisation, deregulation, and economic recovery and reconstruction, but such language had been used in political discourse before without meaningful implementation.
He questioned how economic democratisation could be achieved without the democratisation of politics, saying that political reform, good governance and implementation of the July Charter were prerequisites for economic transformation.
‘How can you democratise the economy without democratising politics?’ he asked, adding that reforms in key institutions, including the Anti-Corruption Commission, the judiciary and constitutional governance, were a must for effective economic reform.
‘During the fascist era, we saw the BNP present its 31-point programme as a road map for state repair and reform. We also saw them sign the July Charter and seek public support for it, while the home minister himself admitted in this House that it was signed as part of an electoral compromise, Nahid said, asking, ‘In that context, how can we be expected to trust the government’s repeated promises?’
Turning to financial governance, Nahid criticised amendments to the Bank Resolution Act, alleging that the current administration was providing opportunities for loan defaulters and those involved in capital flight to re-enter the financial system.
He also proposed that assets acquired through fraudulent loans be nationalised and converted into bonds to stabilise the banking sector, arguing that recovered funds could be reinvested to restore financial stability.
Describing the budget as lacking a coherent development strategy, Nahid said it failed to present a balanced framework of production, distribution, consumption and investment, and did not include a credible employment-generation plan.
The NCP lawmaker also demanded investigation into major agreements with foreign power and energy companies, including those with Adani and Summit, to establish accountability for alleged corruption in the sector.
Drawing attention to a government lawmaker’s remarks that many people who previously travelled by rickshaw were now using cars, Nahid said that he himself had been using a rented car for security reasons and faced difficulty in paying the car’s rent.
He also said that many ruling party leaders saw their assets increase several fold even while in prison during the previous Awami League regime, and questioned whether such increases would continue in the current period.
The lawmaker also called for financial support for the July Foundation, which was established following the ouster of the AL regime, mentioning its current financial difficulties.
Saying that there were reports that a section of the government was allegedly preventing the opening of the July Mass Uprising Museum, the NCP leader remarked that he hoped the reports were not accurate.
On governance reform, he said mega projects and large development programmes had historically enabled corruption through nexus of bureaucrats, politicians and business interests, and argued that only the implementation of the July Charter and a referendum could ensure accountability.
Also raising concerns over border killings and push-in incidents by the Indian border forces and claiming that around 10 Bangladeshis had been killed recently, the lawmaker said the issue should have been discussed in the parliament and called for firm action from the government.
Referring to recent political developments in India, Nahid criticised statements made by West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, calling for a strong diplomatic response from Bangladesh.
He also urged the government to adopt a principled foreign policy based on equality and dignity in relations with neighbouring countries, including India.
Nahid Islam further said that the new Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi, should have issued an apology upon arrival regarding his country’s role in supporting the previous AL regime and political interference over the past 16 years.
