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Published : 11 Jun 2026, 02:12 PM
Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal believes that preventing waste and ensuring good governance are more important than increasing the size of the national budget.
Speaking to the media at his office on Thursday, he said: “If 20 percent or 30 percent of a very large budget is siphoned off for one reason or another, then no matter how large the budget is, it serves little purpose.”
He shared his views on the budget, anti-corruption efforts, and examples of frugality and integrity from his own office.
“The allocations made under the budget should be used honestly and only to the extent necessary by the respective departments,” he said.
Referring to budget constraints facing the Attorney General’s Office, Kazal said: “I myself experience the limitations of our office budget every day. Many expenses of the Attorney General’s Office, including litigation costs, are often borne personally by our law officers. Even so, we continue to work in the interest of the state.”
He also criticised the longstanding government practice of rushing to spend funds at the end of the fiscal year under what is commonly known as the “June closing”, and cited an example from his own office.
“When the government allocates funds, they are earmarked under different expenditure heads. We have a budget allocation for furniture purchases. The budget closes after Jun 30, meaning that any allocated funds must be spent by then; otherwise, the allocation lapses.”
Quoting officials from his office, he said: “Some officials told me, ‘Sir, if we do not spend this money by Jun 30, the allocation will lapse and be returned’. So what if it does? Should I spend public money unnecessarily on furniture simply because the allocation would otherwise be returned? We are returning Tk 1.9 million. Legally, we could have spent that amount in various ways if we wished. But I do not see any need at present to purchase furniture worth Tk 1.9 million for this office.”
The attorney general also recounted an instance where he personally negotiated the price of office furniture down to prevent waste of public funds.
“The chair I am sitting on—I personally went to a store and found the price to be too high. I went there myself and negotiated with them. After getting the listed price reduced, I instructed my office to purchase it at the negotiated rate.”
He added: “This money does not fall from the sky. It is the people’s hard-earned money, earned through their labour and sweat. Every single taka must be used properly and spent for the country, for the people, and for public welfare.”
Citing examples of frugality at the highest levels of government, Kazal said: “You have seen that our prime minister himself has lunch for only Tk 80 or Tk 90. I have personally had the opportunity to witness that on two occasions.”
“If we can ensure the proper use of resources and prevent waste, then I believe Bangladesh’s progress will not depend on the size of the budget, but on how effectively it is utilised.”
Criticising past irregularities, he said: “I do not want to see public money misused in the ways we witnessed in previous periods. No citizen of Bangladesh expects even a single penny of state funds to be squandered. We want to ensure that from our respective positions. I have the responsibility of this office, and I want to ensure it here.”
Expressing optimism about the future, he hoped that with the country embarking on a new journey toward a democratic Bangladesh free from fascism, everyone should fulfil their responsibilities with patriotism and integrity.
