PM Hasina slams critics and vows to implement the budget for FY23-24

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday (4 June) said her government will be able to implement the Tk761,785-crore national budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year.

"We're firmly committed to implementing this budget and we'll be able to do it. Awami League will be able to do it," she said

The premier said this while addressing the commissioning ceremony of the new intercity train 'Chilahati Express' on the Dhaka-Chilahati-Dhaka route. She joined the event at Chilahati Railway Station in Nilphamari through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganabhaban.

She flagged off the 'Chilahati Express' which will run on the route six days a week. The capacity of the intercity train is 800 passengers.

PM Hasina said the size of the budget was only TK61,000 crore in 2006 during the BNP regime. But her government unveiled a Tk761,785-crore budget on 1 June 1.

Lambasting the critics of the budget, she said they always criticise whatever the government does and find 'but' (flaws) there, sitting in air-conditioned rooms and talk shows on private televisions.

They spread some words to disappoint the people and talk against Bangladesh before the foreigners, she said.

Pointing to those who observe every time after the placement of a budget that it's not possible to implement, the PM said, "But we do it and show it's done."

The prime minister said, though her government has brought every house under electricity coverage, now the power generation is being hampered due to the global price-hike of gas, fuel, coal and everything.

"I know the people are suffering because of it during this hot season.  My country's people are now suffering due to two reasons – commodity price-hike that means inflation and power crisis," she said.

She said the people who once got habituated to living under the electric fans suffer more in case of load-shedding.

"If the war hadn't started and there were no [economic] sanctions, we wouldn't face any problem. We could surely take the country forward further. Every country in the world is suffering due to this war," she said.

The PM urged the countrymen to boost up production, bring all uncultivated land under production, bring every water body under fish farming and raise livestock production amid the current global situation.

Bangladesh Railways to step into a new era within 3-4yrs: PM

Turning to railways, Sheikh Hasina said the Awami League government in the last 14 years has installed a total of 650km new railway track, converted 280km rail track into dual-gauge and reinstalled and reconstructed 1197km rail track, collected 111 locomotives, 588 passenger carriages and 516 good-carrying wagons as well as constructed or reconstructed 126 new station buildings, 223 station buildings, 372 new railway bridges and 474 railway bridges.

She said since only Awami League is in power, this massive development has been possible in a short period.

The PM said an initiative has been taken to collect 46 more broad-gauge locomotives, 460 broad-gauge passenger carriages, 150 meter-gauge passenger carriages, 125 modern luggage vans and 1,310 new wagons.

"I believe that Bangladesh Railways with these new locomotives, carriages and wagons will enter into a new era of the capacity of carrying passengers and goods within the next three-four years and the people get its benefits," she said.

On the Dhaka-Chilahati route, freight trains and cross-border train 'Mitali Express' run.

Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan spoke at the function from Chilahati end in Nilphamari, while lawmaker Asaduzzaman Noor MP (Nilphamari-2) and other local MPs, among others, were present there.

PM's Principal Secretary Tofazzel Hossain Miah conducted the event, while Railways Secretary Muhammad Humayun Kabir delivered the welcome speech from Ganabhaban end.