SANGSAD BHABAN, June 11, 2023 (BSS) - Lawmakers today said the proposed budget will play a vital role in women empowerment.
 
Taking part in the general discussion on the national budget for 2023-24 fiscal at the Jatiya Sangsad here, the lawmakers said no other governments except the ruling Awami League had taken positive role for the development of the women population.
 
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on June 1 unveiled a Taka 7,61,785 crore national budget for 2023-24 fiscal setting the GDP growth target at 7.5 percent amid an economic meltdown across the world due to ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.
 
"The proposed budget for 2023-24 has earmarked Taka 2,61,787 crore for the women development which is Taka 32,110 crore more compare to the budget outlay allocated in the last year", said Selima Ahmad, MP, of Cumilla-2, adding that the proposed budget outlay is 34.37 per cent of the total budget outlay and it will play important role in women development.
 
Even the government will enhance facilities for the working women which would help further development of the women empowerment, said Selima who also a noted women entrepreneur.
 
After implementing the vision-2021, another treasury bench lawmaker Abdus Sobhan Mia of Madaripur-3 said "the philosophy of the proposed budget is to build a smart Bangladesh by 2041."

"The budget titled "Towards Smart Bangladesh Sustaining the Development Achievements in Decade and a Half" would help to build a smart Bangladesh while ongoing Ukraine-Russia war have created an emerging challenge for the economy", said AKM Sarwar Jahan of Kushtia-1.

Terming the proposed as smart budget, Tamanna Nusrat Bubly, MP, of women seat-24, said the latest budget will go forward in materializing the dream of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
 
Participating in the discussion, Bangladesh Workers Party lawmaker Lutfun Nesa Khan of women seat-48 said the proposed budget has taken various initiatives to recovery of the economy but it does not way out on how to curb the rising current inflation rate.

Treasury bench members, Mustafizur Rahman of Dinajpur-5, AB Tajul Islam of Brahmanbaria-6, Shafiqur Rahman of Chandpur-8, Dr. Samil Uddin Ahmed Shimul of Chapai Nawabganj-1, Ferdosi Islam of women seat-38, Benjir Ahmed of Dhaka-20, Nargis Rahman of women seat-25, Sultana Nadira of women seat-15 and Tamanna Nusrat Bubli of Women seat-24, took part in the discussion.
 
Earlier, they paid their cordial tributes to the memory of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, four national leaders, martyred Freedom Fighters and also those who made their utmost sacrifices during the War of Liberation and all subsequent democratic movements in the country.