SANGSAD BHABAN, June 13, 2019 (BSS) – The country today witnessed an
unprecedented event with the Prime Minister unveiling the national budget on
finance minister’s behalf as it appeared difficult for the later to present
the annual fiscal document due to sickness.
In line with the parliamentary practice, finance minister AHM Mustafa
Kamal began delivering her budget speech in Jatiya Sangsad at 3:07 but the
sickness largely due to his overnight cataract surgery visibly exposed him to
a difficult situation to read out the document.
Kamal at one stage proposed the premier to deliver the rest of his written
speech on his behalf while Speaker Shirin Sharmin Choudhury endorsed the
proposal and requested her to present the document.
Sheikh Hasina accepted the proposal but pointed out that she was suffering
from cold and recovering from eye surgery as well.
“Yet in this situation, I want to read out the remaining part of the
budget speech, if I get permission,” she said.
At one stage of reading out the written speech, the prime minister smiled
as the issue of her appreciation came up and said “the honourable Speaker,
however, I’m reading it out as I am delivering the finance minister’s
speech”.
This is the country’s 48th national budget and 20th by the Awami League
government in its five terms since the 1971 independence.