Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party Chairman Mozibur Rahman Manju has accused the government of evading power sector reforms and shifting the burden of increased electricity prices onto the public. He cited long-standing irregularities, capacity charges, and opaque subsidy systems in the power and fuel sectors as ongoing issues. Manju made these remarks during a press conference held at the party's central office in Bijoynagar, Dhaka, on Saturday. The conference was organized to protest the increase in electricity prices and to demand an effective, implementable, and reform-oriented national budget.
Manju emphasized the need for continuous reforms in the power and fuel sectors to serve the public interest and to prevent the repetition of past policy errors. He stressed that ending corruption, nepotism, and looting is not solely the government's responsibility but requires the active participation of political parties, administration, and all segments of society.
Regarding the ongoing issue with the Islamic Bank's chairman, Manju urged the government to appoint a suitable individual to the position without delay. He criticized the proposed budget for failing to address the cost of living, employment crisis, and risks to education, health, and food security. Manju called for a reevaluation of the budget based on public uprising consciousness, economic reforms, accountability, and production-oriented growth.
AB Party General Secretary Asaduzzaman Fuad highlighted the necessity of fundamental reforms in the financial sector for an effective budget. He criticized the current budget for being deficit and debt-dependent, despite its large size. Fuad called for a parliamentary-centric budget process instead of the current bureaucratic control. He also advocated for job creation, improving the investment environment, and developing a productive economy over subsidy or card-dependent systems.
Fuad criticized the government's spending, stating that state administration costs have grown disproportionately compared to revenue. He called for reducing government spending, downsizing the government, stopping unnecessary debt, and ensuring accountability in development spending. Fuad also urged the use of artificial intelligence-based digitalization to reduce administrative costs.
Other AB Party leaders present at the press conference included Dhaka North City Convener Selim Khan, Transport Secretary Motiar Rahman, Assistant Publicity Secretary Azadul Islam Azad, Assistant Finance Secretary Abu Bakr Siddique, and Co-Secretary for Entrepreneurship and Employment Sumaiya Sharmin Farhana.
