Land Minister terms proposed budget as `fit for addressing global challenges’

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Describing the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 as timely, feasible and fit for addressing the challenges in the current global situation Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said there is no constructive criticism about this budget like other governments’ budgets.

`The appearing criticism is being made only for the sake of criticism,’ he added.

The Land Minister was addressing the House of the Nation on Tuesday night joining in the general discussion on the proposed budget for 2022-23 fiscal year.

Terming the budget as a fine, acceptable and realistic budget, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury added that the current inflation is not because of Bangladesh’s situation.

`The Corona pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have shaken the entire world. Prices of all products, including fuel, have gone up abnormally. Even in developed countries, inflation has gone into double digits. But we are still in a much better position than that considering the inflation situation,’ he added.

Noting that the country’s leadership is in safe hands, Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chodhury said the country will be safe as long as the country’s leadership is in the hands of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

`If the country is not safe in her hands, then no one else can keep this country safe,’ he further added calling upon everyone to think about how to take the country forward.

In response to the statement of Opposition MPs that “Bangladesh would become Sri Lanka”, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said some people in Bangladesh can’t see the country’s well, they dream that the country will become Sri Lanka.

`In reality, they have no patriotism; they do not want the good of the country. In reality, the situation in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is not the same. A large part of the Sri Lankan economy is dependent on the income of the tourism industry. The coronavirus pandemic and the terrorist bombings have had a devastating effect on the Sri Lankan tourism industry. Meanwhile, the agricultural production of the country also decreased a lot. Due to these and many other incidents, today’s situation in Sri Lanka has taken place,’ he described.

The land minister further said that looking at the current situation in Bangladesh, it can be seen that this country has become self-sufficient in food in the last 13 years and has become a food surplus country under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

`At the same time, Bangladesh has been able to turn around quickly due to taking practical steps by keeping the wheels of the economy running even during the global pandemic corona. Bangladesh has also been able to maintain the continuity of its export earnings. There was also no significant impact on remittance flows. This flow has been normal so far. Moreover, foreign exchange reserves are also in a safe position so far. As a result, there is no danger of Bangladesh falling into a situation like Sri Lanka,’ he added.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on June 9 presented this budget proposal of TK 6 lakh 78 thousand 64 crores in Parliament. Besides, the supplementary budget for the current financial year was passed in the parliament on June 13.