The BNP has urged the interim government to immediately withdraw its decision to impose additional taxes and VAT on the public. Speaking at a press conference titled “Tax and VAT Imposed by the Interim Government Will Worsen Public Suffering” at the BNP Chairperson’s office in Gulshan, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir criticized the move.

He noted that over 100 goods have been subjected to VAT and supplementary duties amidst ongoing economic instability and high inflation. This decision, he argued, would disproportionately burden the poor and middle-class populations. He further claimed that the government increased VAT to address a 42,000-crore-taka budget deficit, meet IMF tax-to-GDP ratio conditions, and secure loans due to insufficient revenue. Additionally, he criticized the government for recently printing 22,500 crore taka to address liquidity crises in banks marred by corruption.

Mirza Fakhrul accused the ruling party of destroying the economy through corruption and mismanagement, asserting that nearly 40% of the development budget during the previous administration was looted. He suggested that reducing wasteful allocations and rationalizing the budget could minimize reliance on public tax increases. He also proposed broadening the tax net, focusing on direct taxes, and addressing tax evasion as alternative measures to increase revenue without burdening citizens. Fakhrul emphasized recovering misappropriated funds, tackling non-performing loans, and utilizing unused government funds to support the economy.

The BNP called on the interim government to consider easing stringent IMF conditions through diplomacy and to adopt policies that alleviate economic pressure on the people rather than exacerbate it. Senior BNP leaders, including Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Ismail Zabihullah, were also present at the briefing.