Anti-people, dependent on borrowing: Jamaat

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Thursday staged a protest rally against the proposed national budget for the 2026�"27 fiscal year, describing it as ‘anti-people,’ ‘debt-dependent,’ and designed to serve partisan interests rather than the public.

The demonstration was held shortly after the government unveiled its Tk 938,000 crore budget in Parliament. 

Addressing a gathering at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General and former Member of Parliament Dr. AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad criticized the proposed budget, alleging that it would increase the tax burden on ordinary citizens while benefiting ruling party supporters.

Following the rally, Jamaat activists brought out a protest procession that marched through Paltan and Bijoynagar areas of the capital.

Meanwhile, Khilafat Majlis also criticized the proposed budget in a separate statement, calling it 'ambitious and debt-dependent.' The party's leaders said the large deficit and reliance on loans could pose long-term challenges for the economy.

Both parties called for revisions to the proposed budget, arguing that it should place greater emphasis on public welfare, sustainable investment and economic stability.