CPD is biased, wicked: Muhith

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith launched a stinging attack on the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) for its 'anti-government' role saying that its report on the economic growth was 'biased'. "I am hurt by the continuous attack from our so-called civil society on the government," he said in an interview with the bdnews24.com Tuesday. "They have criticised the government based on reports run by The Economist without research," he alleged. It was a matter of "great regret" for him and the government, he observed. Mr Muhith, coming from a civil service background, is expected to present the government's last budget on Jun 6. He has so far presented six budgets, two of which were during the rule of military strongman HM Ershad. "CPD is always criticising our government since it does not like us," the minister, apparently irritated, said of the non-government research organisation. He said the private research firm was losing 'neutrality' it once enjoyed. "CPD is making bogus reports one after another. In 2011, they said the government was ruining the country's economy by taking bank loans. "All of its reports are false and baseless, aimed at only harassing the government," the Finance Minister commented. He said he would evaluate the government's successes and failures over the past four and a half years when he would present the budget. "The philosophy of my last budget is higher growth and increased investment." Mr Muhith previously said he would not become a minister even if the incumbent government is elected for a second straight term. He rubbished CPD's forecast that the GDP in the current fiscal would not be more than six per cent. "Their projection is not correct. I am asserting again that this time the growth will be between 6.3 and 6.8 per cent." The minister said the economy grew at 6.3 per cent last year and claimed no other government had been able to maintain the growth. The Finance Minister said despite all the headway, the CPD continued to criticise the government which is unbecoming of a neutral organisation. "I have always said CPD has lost its neutrality. It is an evil racket whose only job is to slate the government." "It is unacceptable," he continued. Mr Muhith discounted the CPD observation that if the government began bridging the Padma fully with domestic finance, funding to other sectors would fall. "They (CPD) did not consider the fact that the volume of budget has also increased. There will not be problems with allocations in other sectors when the budget volume expands."