BSD held protest rallies and processions in Chittagong district

Arjun Nahar:

Demonstration rallies and processions were held on June 5 at 5 pm at the New Market intersection in the city, rejecting the budget, which was inconsistent with the needs of life and livelihood of the common man.

BSD Chittagong district in-charge Al Qaderi Joy presided over the rally while BSD Chittagong district members Mohin Uddin, Helal Uddin Kabir, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front Chittagong city president Raihan Uddin and general secretary Riju Lakshmi Aborod spoke.

Speakers at the rally said the budget of Tk 35,000 crore more than the previous budget and Tk 8,361 crore more than the revised budget of Tk 75,000 crore will increase inequality rather than guaranteeing the quality of life and assurance of livelihood of the common man. This budget required food supply, control of food prices, introduction of ration system to save the lives of working peasants, informal sector workers, increase in hospital and medical allocation for treatment of workers. The agriculture and farmers who have saved the country by producing paddy, maize, fish, meat, vegetables and fruits and provided employment to 42% of the workers needed to increase the allocation and subsidy but the budget has kept the subsidy in the agriculture sector the same for the last three years. In Corona, more than two and a half crore people have fallen below the poverty line, the number of poor people has risen to more than 42 percent but there is no special allocation and initiative in the budget to save their lives and security of their livelihood.

The government has continued its policy of appeasing the rich by reducing corporate tax by 2.5 per cent, despite imposing additional VAT burden on the people to increase revenue.

Although small and medium industries are the main source of employment and economy of the country, the allocation in that sector in the budget is at a marginal level. There is no proposal in this year’s budget to reduce the interest on extended agricultural loans.

There is no plan in the budget for any employment measures and rehabilitation initiatives for the innumerable workers who have lost their jobs in Corona, the migrant workers who have returned to more than 6 lakh countries, the 2 million young people who have entered the labor market.

Although four and a half crore students and more than two million teachers are in need of education assistance and disaster allowance for teachers who are in dire straits, the budget does not provide guidance.

On the contrary, by giving the opportunity to legalize black money, the government has proved that the system of production of black money is in force in the country and the government wants to maintain the production of this black money.

On the one hand, the budget has increased the tax VAT on the people, on the other hand, the tax evasion has given legal and political legitimacy to the looted money.

Speakers at the rally demanded amendment of the budget in the interest of workers, peasants, lower and middle class people.