BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said that reforms are not a new concept for BNP and the party does not require lessons on reforms.

Speaking as the chief guest at a divisional dialogue titled "Political Commitment to Economic Recovery" in Jashore on Tuesday, Khosru emphasised that reforms must be based on the public mandate, otherwise people will not accept it.

"Reforms may seem new to some, but not for the BNP. We do not need lessons on reforms. Over 90 per cent of Bangladesh's progress has been achieved under BNP’s leadership," he said.

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Khosru criticised the previous government’s budget, describing it as “corrupt” and unnecessary in the current economic context. He alleged that the proposed budget is inflated with undue allocations and should be withdrawn to alleviate public suffering.

“We have asked the interim government to repeal these excessive taxes and the budget presented by the previous autocratic government. A budget of Tk 10,000 crore has been inflated to Tk 30,000 crore, while Tk 1,000 crore has ballooned to Tk 3,000 crore. Such expenditures are unwarranted under the current circumstances,” he said.

Khosru urged the authorities to suspend the existing budget and introduce an interim one that is people-centric. “Why has an interim budget not been proposed yet, even after five months? The current situation demands a budget that prioritises the welfare of the people,” he said.

The dialogue, organised at a local hotel, was presided over by Mizanur Rahman Khan, president of the Jashore Chamber of Commerce. Prominent figures, including former MP and industrialist Salimul Haq Kamal, former BGMEA vice president Mahmudul Hasan Babul and Shamsur Rahman, president of the Benapole C&F Association, also spoke at the event.

Business representatives from 10 districts of the Khulna division attended the dialogue.