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Published : 13 Jun 2026, 01:49 PM
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has accused the Opposition of rejecting the newly proposed national budget solely to breed instability and trigger public confusion across Bangladesh.
The premier voiced these concerns on Saturday while addressing a brief rally following the re-excavation of Patali Khal in PM Khali Union.
He noted that despite Opposition outcries, retail prices of essential commodities have remained stable since Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury presented the Tk 9.38 trillion fiscal blueprint for the 2026-27 financial year on Thursday.
Tarique said the government completely scrapped import duties on 60 daily necessities, including rice, pulses, oil, and salt, to ensure low-income citizens do not face inflationary burdens.
He questioned what the Opposition actually wanted. A budget that cuts taxes -- they reject it. A budget that raises prices on alcohol and cigarettes -- they reject that too.
"So now you understand what the Opposition is really after," he told the crowd.
He maintained that the Opposition’s primary objective has nothing to do with standing beside ordinary citizens, but is entirely focused on destabilising the state.
Tarique said the budget also raised taxes on imported goods that compete with domestically produced items, to protect local industries and create jobs for the country's young people.
That too, he said, was unacceptable to the Opposition.
Before taking to the stage, he went to the canal bank, picked up a spade to dig, and planted a sapling of a tropical almond tree.
He told the gathering that the people are the source of all power for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
He promised that as long as leadership remains alive, the administration will continue working to transform the fortunes of ordinary citizens, describing Bangladesh as both the first and final destination for the BNP.
He urged collective participation in nation-building to guarantee a peaceful future for the next generation, repeating the slogan: "We will work, we will build the nation, Bangladesh comes before everything else."
The rally was presided over by Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila BNP President Abdul Mabud.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, State Minister Forhad Hossain Azad, Cox's Bazar-3 MP Lutfur Rahman Kajol and local leader Harunur Rashid also spoke.
