Mentioning that the private research organization Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) called the budget unrealistic, Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Hasan Mahmud said in last 14 years, CPD could not appreciate the budget.
The minister said these while exchanging views with journalists at his official residence at Minto Road in Dhaka on Friday.
"This year, while the budget proposal session is ongoing, they (CPD) said that this budget is ambitious and it could not be implemented," the minister said.
But the average rate of budget implementation in Bangladesh is 97 percent, he said, adding that if the value of the dollar had not increased, the country's per capita income would have exceeded three thousand dollars.
"During this time, the country's GDP increased, poverty decreased from 41 percent to 18 percent," he said.
"They don't see these. In fact CPD has to show their expertise and it is their job to find mistakes. This is how they get funds from various sources. That is why they cannot appreciate," he said.
About BNP's statement 'This budget is about looting as per the prescription of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)', Awami League Joint General Secretary Hasan Mahmud said before proposing budget, BNP's Finance Minister Saifur Rahman rushed to the Paris Consortium for seeking help of IMF so that he could present the budget as per the prescription of IMF.
At present, the budget of Bangladesh is not dependent on foreign aid in any way, the minister said, adding that a little more than 1 lakh crore foreign loans will be taken in this budget.
"BNP is the world champion in looting. They made the country champion in corruption five times in a row. Hearing complaints of looting on their lips brings smile on the face," he added.
