Budget a 'fanus' without inflation control: CPB 

Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said the proposed national budget, despite containing several attractive promises, will ultimately become a ‘fanus’ if it fails to control inflation, increase people's incomes and create employment opportunities.

In his reaction to the proposed budget, Prince told the Daily Observer that people once looked forward to the national budget to learn which products would become cheaper and which would become more expensive. However, he said that prices of essential commodities now often increase before the budget is announced and continue rising throughout the year, making budget-related price changes less meaningful for ordinary citizens.

Describing the budget as an ambitious deficit budget, Prince warned that financing the deficit could eventually lead to additional tax burdens on the public. He said inflation remains the biggest concern for people and questioned the realism of the inflation target set in the budget. According to him, many economists and international institutions have expressed doubts about achieving the target.

Prince also criticized the absence of key measures aimed at easing the cost-of-living crisis. He said the budget does not include proposals such as a universal rationing system, stronger market monitoring mechanisms or a national minimum wage for workers. He further argued that there are no clear and effective initiatives to address the country's employment challenges.