The budget for FY05 outlines a gross expenditure, including both revenue and development spending, of Tk 72,752 crore and a net expenditure of Tk 57,248 crore.

"We will start implementing this budget from next week," Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman told the press after the parliament session, "We will hold meetings with all the secretaries and ask them to complete all desk work within the next three months."

The budget of the new fiscal gives the highest allocation of Tk 4,519 crore to the communications ministry, followed by Tk 4,451 crore to defence and Tk 4,387 crore to education ministries, and Tk 4,261 crore to local government division.

It has kept Tk 21,819 crore under the finance division to be spent for investment and capital expenditure purposes.

Awami League (AL) staged yesterday's walkout accusing the treasury bench of not giving it adequate time to discuss budget allocations for ministries of law, home, foreign affairs and finance, and the Prime Minister's Office.

A noisy debate ensued in the House soon after the day's proceedings began at 11:10am, when the Speaker announced that demands for grants and cut motions would go to guillotine after 12 noon as per Rule 170(2).

Amid opposition lawmakers' protests at the announcement, the Speaker gave floor to Opposition Chief Whip Abdus Shahid, who pleaded to discuss at least five demands and cut motions on them.

"As per your announcement, we have only 40 minutes left to discuss," he told the chair in dismay, adding that the main opposition would provide the Speaker with a schedule of who would discuss on what in view of the time constraint.

At this stage, Chief Whip Khandakar Delwar Hossain took up the microphone and said it was a tradition that the demands went to guillotine. He suggested discussing the matters until the lunch break anyway.

Amidst full-throated protesting shouts from the front ranking AL members, the chair gave the floor to Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed. Moudud requested the Speaker to hold a discussion using the AL schedule.

Getting the floor, AL leader Suranjit Sengupta said the prime minister while taking part in the budget discussion had sought the opposition's help 16 times and they were also ready to cooperate. "We, too, want the budget to be passed," he said and asked the chair to go for guillotine after the dusk. The Speaker denied.

As a heated debate ensued, Saifur in visible anger said no-one should spoil the session and the altercation must stop. At that point, opposition Krishak Sramik Janata League leader Kader Siddiqui urged Saifur not to lose his temper.

The chair then asked LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan to place the second demand for grant as the law minister had already sought the first.

This led to the AL walkout at 11:30am. However, several AL members including Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, without using microphone, tried to convince the Speaker. Refused, they too walked out of the House.

The Speaker termed the walkout 'undemocratic'.

Later, Jatiya Party lawmaker GM Kader said the opposition wanted to fix five demands for discussion, but they wanted to go by a selective list to hold discussions as much as possible until 1pm.

Moudud also supported the opposition plea, but Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar was firm on the point that the opposition wanted a complete discussion on all the five subjects they wanted to fix.

Kader Siddiqui then told the House: "We wanted to discuss but have been denied. So I am leaving the House." With that, he left the House but returned soon.

"If we continue such discussions, we will not be able to pass the budget even in three days. If someone understanding something behaves as if he doesn't, the motive is not in line with transparent democracy," the Speaker said.

The chair then resumed discussion on the demands for grants, in which, other than treasury bench members, only independent lawmaker MM Shahin took part on some cut motions.

While the treasury bench continued the session undisturbed, the AL held a press conference at the Sangsad lobby. AL leaders said they had to walk out, as the speaker did not grant them enough discussion time. "This is unheard of and sad. We wanted time till sunset but they would give us only 40 minutes till 12 noon," said AL lawmaker Abdur Razzak.

AL leaders alleged this was done as per the suggestions of the ministers concerned, because if there were adequate discussion, the ministers would have been made accountable, which they apparently do not want to be.

Razzak said, "We denounce passing of the budget through the finance minister's verbal bashing," adding his behaviour reflects but a despotic attitude.

To the newsmen, AL lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta said, "We will not own any involvement with the passing of this budget."

"The Speaker behaved more like a marshal law administrator than an elected Speaker and the finance minister behaved in such a way as if the House is his private property. We condemn such attitudes," Sengupta said.