The galleries of the Jatiya Sangsad were filled with a distinguished assembly of national and international figures on Thursday to witness the presentation of the budget session of BNP government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The session, which saw Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury commence his budget speech at 3:05pm after obtaining formal permission from Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, was marked by the presence of high-ranking military officials, senior civil servants, and the diplomatic corps.
Military and Civil Leadership in attendance seated in the first row of the VVIP lounge, situated to the right of the Speaker, were the nation’s top defence and administrative chiefs. This group included Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan.
They were joined in the gallery by Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, and Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman.
Other senior figures and experts present to observe the fiscal proposals included the economist Debapriya Bhattacharya, alongside Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md Abdus Salam and Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Md Safiqul Islam Khan.
The VVIP lounge to the left of the Speaker was reserved for the diplomatic community, reflecting international interest in the new administration’s economic roadmap. Amongst the foreign envoys in attendance were British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke and European Union Ambassador Michael Miller.
The proceedings were also observed by a cohort of the Prime Minister’s advisers seated in the VVIP gallery, including Md Ismail Zabihullah, Mahdi Amin, Zahed Ur Rahman, Rehan Asif Asad, and SM Ziauddin Hyder, amongst others.
The presence of such a wide array of distinguished guests and invited observers in the VVIP and visitor galleries underscored the significance of this inaugural budget session under the current administration.
