RAJSHAHI, March 25, 2018 (BSS)-Speakers here at a budget related public
hearing unequivocally called for peoples’ participatory budget for ensuring
overall development of the country.
They observed that people’s participatory national budget is important for
reflecting the hopes and aspirations of the people and their empowerment.
District Budget Movement (DBM) organized the public hearing at a city
restaurant in association with Parliamentary Caucus on National Planning and
Budget on Saturday.
In the meeting, various issues, like budget decentralization, peoples’
participation in the budget formulation process, budgetary allocation for the
marginalized community and their access to the public services were discussed
elaborately.
General secretary of Workers Party of Bangladesh Fazley Hossain Badsha, MP,
and Ayen Uddin, MP, addressed the meeting as chief and special guests
respectively with DBM President Akbarul Hassan Millat in the chair.
Retired registrar of Rajshahi University (RU) Prof Abdus Salm, director of
Barendra Unnayan Prochesta Foyzullah Chowdhury, executive director of
Sachetan Hasinul Islam, Union Parishad Chairman Abul Kalam Azad and local
unit chairman of Jatiya Mohila Sangstha Morjina Parveen also spoke on the
occasion.
During his concept paper presentation, Prof ANK Noman from Department of
Economics in RU said decentralised budgeting process could be the effective
means of attaining the goal of a democratic budget.
Lawmaker Badsha called upon the government to flourish the industrial
sector in Rajshahi aimed at infusing dynamism into its economic activities.
“I urge the government to provide 10 percent incentives to the
entrepreneurs who are interested to set up industries here,” he added
underscoring the need for bringing all other existing potential sectors under
budgetary allocation for its overall development.
Referring to enormous prospects of setting up of agro-based industries
here, the lawmaker said need-based steps should be taken in this regard as
early as possible. Building economic zone has become the demand of time, he
added.
The MP underlined the need for launching direct railway communication
between Rajshahi and Kolkata like Khulna.
Badsha opined that if Rajshahi Airport was upgraded to international
standard various agro-products could be exported to various foreign countries
including the Middle East nations from here directly.
“Immediate step should be taken to full-fledged reopening of the now
partially functioning Rajshahi Silk Factory for the sake of revitalizing the
silk sector,” he said adding two major tourism-enriched cities- Chittagong
and Cox’s Bazar are detached from Rajshahi in terms of direct rail and air
communications.
This odd situation must be removed. He demanded bringing back the
navigability in Padma River through capital dredging and it would be the
turning point of Rajshahi’s development.