Terming the proposed budget anti-people, a civil society platform said on Monday some major issues including growing income inequality, poverty and corruption have not been reflected properly in it.
They also urged the government to formulate an effective guideline to reduce poverty and inequality in the society.
As there is a policy gap to make the budget more job-focused, the government should give more emphasis to this end, they said, adding that the education and health sectors did not get priority in the budget.
The views and call came at a discussion meeting styled "Proposed National Budget 2019-20: Citizens' Dialogue and Reaction" organised by Democratic Budget Movement (DBM) at the National Press Club in the city.
Monwar Mostafa, General Secretary of DBM, presented a keynote paper on the proposed budget.
Lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha and Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon, among others, spoke on the occasion.
In his keynote paper, Mr Monwar said, "The proposed budget is anti-people and anti-democratic and served the purposes of a group of elite and businesspeople."
Speaking on the occasion as a guest speaker, Mr Badsha said he disagreed with the philosophy, point of view and structure of the budget.
The budget is conflicting with the philosophy of the 1971 liberation war, he added.
Nazmul Haque Prodhan, a former lawmaker and general secretary of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Abdullah Al Kafi, presidium member of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), were also present at the meeting moderated by Asgar Ali Sabri, director of ActionAid Bangladesh.
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