Muhith made a scapegoat to save Hasina: Rizvi on budget criticism

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has been made a scapegoat to save Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from public wrath over the proposed budget, BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has said.

The BNP senior joint secretary general's remarks come amid harsh criticism of the proposed budget by both ruling and opposition Jatiya Paty MPs in parliament.

The BNP has no representation in parliament as it boycotted the January 2014 general elections.

MPs from the Awami League-led ruling coalition and opposition Jatiya Party are using harsh words to slate Muhith for his proposals to collect 15 percent VAT and to raise excise duty on bank accounts with deposits of as low as Tk 100,000 in 2017-18 fiscal year.

Jatiya Party MPs even asked the finance minister to step down taking responsibilities for the 'anti-people budget'.

Speaking at a human-chain programme in front of the National Press Club on Wednesday, BNP leader Rizvi said, "The ruling party members are lambasting the finance minister in parliament. They are saying that he is incompetent, mentally unstable, and will sink the government."

"Look, a budget is passed by the Cabinet chaired by the prime minister. She and her government know all about it.

"Which means the ruling party and its B-team are deliberately saying all these in parliament to let the prime minister and the government escape," Rizvi said.

He said the "BNP thinks all of these are rooted in one place and aimed at misleading the people".

"Incidents are occurring one after another to hide the government's failure from the public eye," he added.

The human chain programme was organised in protest against the attack on BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's motorcade in Chittagong who was on his way to Rangamati on Sunday.

Local Awami League MP Hasan Mahmud's supporters carried out the attack, the BNP alleged.

Rizvi said he thought "the prime minister had cleared the attack".

"He (Hasan Mahmud) does not have the courage to do something like this on his own. He must have done this after getting the green light from the high-up...I don't think he could dare to do this without the prime minister's instructions," added Rizvi.