Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarique Rahman has reprimanded treasury bench members who skipped the morning session on the day of the budget passage, ordering whips to demand immediate explanations from the absentees.
Following Tuesday’s session, the prime minister summoned the chief whip and the errant MPs to his parliamentary office, where several attendees confirmed he delivered a severe dressing-down.
His frustration was compounded by the fact that he had arrived early himself, at 9:45am, for the crucial passing of the Tk9.38 lakh crore budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Although MPs were strictly instructed to arrive 15 minutes before the session commenced, many government benches remained empty during the morning’s adjourned sitting. Consequently, the Prime Minister ordered whips to uncover the reasons behind the low turnout, who then firmly conveyed the full extent of his displeasure to the absentees.
The situation has left many sidelined MPs anxious. One absent MP from the Faridpur region told TIMES, “Only God knows what lies ahead for me.” However, another nearby MP joked, “I rarely get the chance to meet the Prime Minister anyway. Perhaps this will finally give me an opportunity to see him.”
This follows a similar confrontation on 17 June, when the Prime Minister travelled to Sylhet. He became furious upon spotting local MPs waiting at the airport to welcome him, having abandoned their parliamentary duties. Confronting them, he demanded, “Why are you here? Do you not have parliament session today?”
Taking the reprimand to heart, Sylhet-6 MP Emran Ahmed Chowdhury immediately flew back to Dhaka that afternoon to attend the session.
No post-budget dinner
Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atiqur Rahman Rumon informed on Tuesday night the cancellation of the post-budget dinner for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Traditionally hosted by the Finance Ministry at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on the night a budget is passed, the dinner is usually attended by the Prime Minister, opposition leader, cabinet ministers, MPs, senior officials, and the media.
According to Rumon, scrapping this year’s event has saved the public purse more than Tk50 lakh.
This decision follows a broader austerity drive by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who has drastically cut entertainment allowances since taking office.
This month, entertainment expenses for officials and staff at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) amounted to just Tk11.69 lakh, while the costs for both Eid celebrations hosted at the State Guest House Jamuna came to approximately Tk90 lakh.
Rumon also noted that during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, between Tk30 crore and Tk55 crore was spent annually on entertainment for PMO staff.
Food was historically catered by the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, and a massive portion of those catering bills remains outstanding.
