Lawmakers continued to lambast Finance Minister AMA Muhith over widespread irregularities in the banking sector.
During Tuesday’s budget discussion, JaSad's Nazmul Huq Pradhan said “Businessmen are looting millions. And banks are being provided with capital, tax cut as well as subsidies. Lock in on a decision. You can save the banks this way, but not the economy.”
Claiming that the state was patronising banks, Jatiya Party MP Mohammad Noman said, “Why shouldn’t be the banks held accountable, why are they being subsidized by the taxpayers money? You are bailing out them with funds instead of punishment. It will happen again.”
JP lawmaker Shameem Haider Patwary came down hard on cutting corporate tax for banks by 2.5 percent. “But there is nothing for others in the corporate sector, who are actually doing good.”
According to him, Muhith has rewarded the “naughty cat with cookies, which will want more the next, but did not reward the good cat”.
Describing the budget as ‘bureaucratic’, Patwary came down hard on the finance minister for neglecting the Judiciary in his budget proposals, which he said will widen the chasm between the executive and the judiciary.
The raise in the pay for public servants were alarming, he said before adding: “It has significantly raised the government’s expenditure leading to cut in development allocations.”
Following Tuesday’s budget discussion, the parliament has been adjourned till Jun 18.