Prominent economist Anu Muhammad criticized the proposed budget, saying it follows the same old trajectory and fails to reflect meaningful change. "Development is visible only in headlines. In reality, the budget is putting people's lives at risk," he remarked.

He urged the government to revise the budget before June 22, addressing its existing flaws. Anu Muhammad noted that many reform committee recommendations have been ignored and warned against the lack of reassessment of ongoing mega projects like Rooppur, Matarbari, and Rampal. "The government says it wants to move away from mega projects, but we see no real effort to exit those that are already underway."