Jatiyo Oikya Front leaders react to FY21 budget

Top leaders of the Jatiya Oikya Front on Friday reacted to the budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year proposed by the government on June 11.

"At first, we thought, one-third of the whole budget is deficit, which is 6 percent of the GDP," they said in a statement, adding "But now, after looking at the internal report of the finance ministry, we have come to realise that what we said earlier about this budget is true – it will completely bankrupt the government."

The leaders said the government will have to borrow a total of TK5.71 lakh crores next year, whereas the proposed budget is Tk5.68 lakh crores.

"This means that the debt is more than the total budget allocation for the year. If this continues, then new-born babies will eventually be born with Tk60,000 debt on their shoulders," they said.

Jatiyo Oikya Front leaders also said the government needs to explain why it is still claiming that GDP growth next year will be 8.2 percent and inflation will remain at 5.4 percent.

But the leaders thanked the finance minister for presenting the budget for 170 million people amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President ASM Abdur Rab, BNP Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Gono Forum General Secretary Dr Reza Kibria, and Prof Nurul Amin Bepari jointly relayed their reactions in the statement.