PM Hasina: Budget FY25 aims to continue development in Bangladesh
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‘Electoral manifesto prioritized during this year’s budget formulation’
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said that the proposed budget for the 2024-25 financial year has been prepared with the aim of ensuring the continuation of Bangladesh’s development trajectory.
She said: "I do not consider the budget to be overly ambitious at all. We set a target. It is never fully achieved. Still, we have a clear target that we will reach here. We have been able to get there. From a budget of Tk62,000 crore to a budget of Tk7,00,000 crore! We have been able to reach this point."
She made these remarks on Saturday afternoon while participating in the general discussion on the proposed budget for the FY25 at the National Parliament in Dhaka.
Earlier, the session began at 4pm with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
The prime minister said: "Within this budget, we will be able to implement the plan that we have made for the future, from 2021 to 2041. We have that continuity. Awami League is a political party. We have our own manifesto, and we announce our manifesto before the elections. We never forget this manifesto. We fulfill the promises made to the nation and come to power elected by the people's vote. During the formulation of this budget, the priorities of our electoral manifesto and the directives for changing the fate of the people have also been reflected in the budget."
Sheikh Hasina continued: "We have given the largest budget in the history of Bangladesh. So far, 234 members of parliament, including the opposition leader, have spoken on the budget. They have shed light on the budget and given suggestions. Many others have discussed the budget outside of this."
Thanking everyone who discussed and criticized the budget, the head of the government said: "Some have called the budget ambitious, some have called it a deficit budget.
“A little while ago, the opposition leader said that this budget cannot be implemented, we have to reduce our growth rate, we have to reduce the annual development program... and so on. Whether we have the ability to take on this challenge or not. Taking on challenges is our job. We want to move forward by taking on challenges, and we are progressing by taking on challenges," she added.