Opposition lawmaker Rafiqul Islam Khan on Saturday criticised Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, alleging that the deteriorating law and order situation had become the biggest obstacle to implementing the proposed 2026–27 national budget.
Speaking during the general discussion on the budget in the Jatiya Sangsad, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MP for Sirajganj-4 said public security was now a greater challenge than the budget itself.
“The current law and order situation has now become the biggest obstacle to implementing the budget and also solving the problems of Bangladesh,” he said.
Referring to a recent report by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Rafiqul claimed that 605 people had been killed and 196 others subjected to enforced disappearance during the first 100 days of the current government.
“The 605 people killed include 288 members of the ruling party. If the government cannot ensure the safety of its own party members, how can the general people expect security for their lives from this government?” he said.
The opposition MP said the home minister had spoken on various government matters but had failed in his primary responsibility of maintaining law and order.
“I think the Home Minister has failed to maintain law and order,” he said.
Turning to the budget, Rafiqul argued that it was not people-friendly and would place a heavier burden on poorer sections of society. He said the prices of essential commodities had already risen before the budget was presented, despite government claims that the budget itself had not pushed up prices.
“This is truly a budget that hurts the poor. I don’t want to call it a budget for looting, but there is no doubt that it is a budget that will exploit the poor,” he said.
He cited several price increases, saying the cost of a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder had risen by 28.9 per cent, from Tk 1,341 to Tk 1,728. Diesel has increased by Tk 15 per litre, kerosene by Tk 18, petrol by Tk 19, broiler chicken by Tk 15 per kilogram, Sonali chicken by Tk 100 per kilogram and eggs by Tk 10 per dozen.
“It raises the question whether our friends in the ruling party actually go to the market,” he said.
Rafiqul also questioned the government's macroeconomic projections. He noted that the budget forecast gross domestic product growth of 6.5 per cent, while the World Bank projected a maximum of 4.6 per cent. He also said the budget targeted inflation at 7.5 per cent even though the inflation rate had already reached 9.42 per cent in May.
“So, the inflation target has already failed. This cannot be called a people-friendly budget,” he said.
The Jamaat lawmaker expressed concern over the growing volume of defaulted bank loans and Bangladesh's rising debt burden.
He also criticised the ruling party for overturning the referendum verdict through its parliamentary majority and demanded implementation of the result, claiming that 70 people had voted 'yes' in the referendum. He warned that ignoring the public verdict could have serious consequences.
Rafiqul proposed aligning Bangladesh's fiscal year with the calendar year, from January to December.
While welcoming the budget's provision of honorariums for imams and muezzins, he urged the government to introduce similar allowances for priests and religious functionaries of other faiths serving in places of worship.
He also called for the nationalisation of Ebtedayee madrasas following proper verification, saying their teachers and students had long been neglected.
The opposition MP welcomed government allowances for the families of the July heroes and urged ministers to introduce similar financial assistance and rehabilitation programmes for those killed, forcibly disappeared or abducted during the Awami League's 16 years in power.
Rafiqul further criticised the government for failing to bring back former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and other leaders of what he described as the "fascist regime" despite being in office for several months. He urged the government to return them to Bangladesh for trial.
He also called for a stronger anti-corruption drive, saying corrupt individuals were enemies of both the country and its people regardless of political affiliation. He urged the government to recover money allegedly laundered abroad and pledged to help build “a poverty-free, terrorism-free, corruption-free and humane Bangladesh".
