Take visible steps to bring back laundered money to address budget deficit: Opposition Leader
Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman on Monday urged the government to take visible and effective steps to bring back public assets laundered abroad and those responsible for it, saying that could help eliminate the budget deficit in the upcoming fiscal year.
"Around Tk 28 lakh crore was laundered abroad over the 15 and a half years. But this budget contains neither any guideline nor any proposal on how that money will be brought back. If we can recover just one-ninth of the laundered money in the 2026-27 fiscal year through proper initiatives, there will be no budget deficit," he said.
The opposition leader made the remarks while taking part in a general discussion on the proposed national budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year in Parliament.
"The assets must be recovered and the culprits must also be brought back to face punishment. If so, none will dare anymore to extend their hands to plunder public assets in future.”
He warned that overlooking the issue would encourage creation of even larger financial criminals in the future. "We want to see visible and effective steps in this regard," the opposition leader said.
He urged the government to pursue all legal avenues, including signing necessary Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the countries concerned to recover the assets.
"But the pace must be like that of a deer, not a tortoise, because the sooner the assets are recovered, the more the state and the deprived people will benefit," he said.
Referring to the proposed budget, Shafiqur said he would neither describe it as large, small nor medium-sized. "I would say the nation needs a budget that truly meets its requirements," he said.
Though he expressed concern over the revenue target, he said the government could collect more revenue than the target set in the budget if it remains honest and demonstrates political will.
Drawing attention to the country's tax system, the opposition leader said that income taxpayers effectively paid three kinds of taxes.
"One goes to the state treasury, another ends up in the pockets of some dishonest people involved in the system, and the third goes to extortionists," he said.
He said if taxpayers could be assured that they would pay only one tax; the one deposited to the government; they would be more willing to pay higher taxes voluntarily.
Shafiqur also said the government must build confidence among businesses by standing beside them during difficult times.
"If confidence is created among businesspeople that paying taxes is not a one-way tunnel, rather two-way tunnel; that they pay taxes in my good times and will receive support in difficult times; they will be encouraged to pay taxes in the same way businessmen do in developed countries," he said.
He focused on different issues, including education, Ebtedaiye Madrasha, Qawmi Madrasha, nationalizing the eligible non-MPO educational institutes, healthcare services, medical research and reduction of migration cost for overseas jobseeker by breaking syndicate of recruitment agencies;
Take humane-logical steps over Ad-din Hospital
He urged the government to take humane and logical steps soon regarding Ad-din Medical College and Hospital, considering the academic future of hundreds of medical students and nurses left in uncertainty following the suspension of it's license by the government.
"I urge the government to give serious consideration to this issue in order to protect the academic careers and lives of the medical students and nurses," he said.
He said tens of thousands of people had been receiving healthcare services from the hospital, while around 750 medical students and an equal number of nursing students were now facing uncertainty.
He also expressed concern that foreign students would lose interest in enrolling in such institutions in Bangladesh if they feared their education could be disrupted midway.
Shafiqur said if the hospital is not reopened very soon after completing the required reforms, all these students and nurses will remain in uncertainty, he said.
"If anyone is found guilty through a proper investigation, let them face trial and punishment; we have no objection," he said.
He said if any wrongdoing is committed, it should be dealt with appropriately. "But our steps should be humane and logical," the opposition leader added.
Raise FFs honorarium
The opposition leader asked the government to raise the honorarium allowance for all freedom fighters, instead of raising only the allowances for the families of titled freedom fighters.
The FY27 budget proposes to keep the monthly honorarium for a freedom fighter unchanged at Tk 20,000, while increasing allowances for the families of titled freedom fighters.
"I would request the government to increase the allowance for all. Everyone has needs. Those who received state titles are already honoured separately by the nation," he said.
Like the "July warriors", honoured with monthly allowances, he urged the government to recognise all victims of political repression.
He said the victims are not only from Jamaat, but also from BNP. “Among the 34 people killed on October 28, 2006, 14 belonged to Jamaat-e-Islami and 20 to the BNP, he said.
Opposition is being chopped in House
Shafiqur criticised what he described as repeated attacks on the opposition in Parliament while simultaneously calling for national unity.
“An excellent tendency was noticed in this Parliament. We are first chopped down and then invited to work together. We have to leave behind the chopping tools,” he said.
He said the ruling party must develop the mentality to respect the opposition, while the opposition should cooperate with the government on all justified issues.
Shafiqur thanked the finance minister for preparing the national budget under difficult economic circumstances.
“The finance minister had to place a national budget sitting on a collapsed economy,” he said.
Describing the opposition as the watchdog of the government, he expressed optimism that the proposals raised by opposition lawmakers as well as some treasury bench members would be reflected in the final budget.
He also proposed changing Bangladesh's fiscal year from January to December to align it with the calendar year, saying it would accelerate implementation of development work and reduce national losses.
The opposition leader further demanded visible progress in the trial of the Sharif Osman Hadi murder case, speedy implementation of the Dhaka-Sylhet highway project, construction of a bridge connecting Bhola with the mainland, implementation of the Teesta mega project, and resolution of the water crisis and other civic problems in Dhaka-15 constituency, which he represents in Parliament.