Ershad was speaking at a press conference on the proposed budget for the 2004-2005 fiscal year at a city hotel in the city.

"People of all strata, including politicians, intellectuals, journalists, police and businessmen, do not have security of life.

Rejecting the proposed budget, he said it could not fulfill aspirations of the people.

The finance minister has placed nine budgets, but the country could not achieve nine percent economic growth, Ershad said. If the finance minister places more budgets, yet he will not be able to achieve the Millennium Goal by 2015, he said.

Ershad said excess taxation and imposition of huge VAT would only increase the prices of essentials and termed the target of increasing revenue earning by 16.7 percent in the proposed budget as unrealistic.

He said price of 151 essentials, including soyabean, onion, garlic, ginger, petrol, diesel, gas, water and electricity, has increased in the last two years.

He said without upazila system development of the rural poor what has been stressed in the proposed budget will not be possible. Without introduction of provincial government system budget will repeatedly be failed to achieve its goal, he added.

The garment industry will face tough competition from next year when quota-free trade begins, he said. But, little preparation has been taken to face the competition, he added.

He demanded of the government to waive firm loan up to Tk 5,000 and interest of Tk10,000 that would greatly benefit the farmers. The government has to give more attention to the agriculture and industry sector, he said.

On today's Dhaka-10 by-election, Ershad said his party would not support any of the candidates and party workers can cast their votes according to their wishes. "Major (Rted) Mannan did not feel any necessity to come to me for our support though four-party alliance candidate sought my support", he said.

Replying to a question about Bangla Bhai, he said there is no doubt about the existence of Bangla Bhai. The government should take strict measure in this regard as none can take the law into their own hands. He expressed his ignorance on whether the government was patronising Bangla Bhai or not.

Bidisha Ershad, party presidium member Kazi Jafar Ahmed, Sardar Amzad Hossain, Sunil Gupta, Syed Abu Hossain Babla were present at the conference.