In a statement, the Consumers' Association of Bangladesh (CAB) the tax net has been widened to such an extent that the consumers will be the worst sufferers, it said.

The CAB observed that the budget has no direction in the area of poverty reduction although the finance minister in his budget speech said poverty alleviation will be given priority.

It also expressed scepticism about whether the poor farmers will benefit from the provision for more subsidies to the agriculture sector proposed in the budget.

In another statement, Bangladesh Sramajibi Nari Moitri, a women workers' association, said the interests of the women workers have been totally ignored in the proposed budget.

Although women make up over 40 percent of the total labour force, there is no specific allocation for them, it added.

"Rather, the finance minister has colluded with the big interest groups by giving them a scope to whiten black money," it said.

Sheikh Shahidul Islam, secretary general of the Jatiya Party (Manju), called for reducing expenditure in the unproductive sectors and increasing the allocation for the service sectors such as education and health.

Bangladesh Shikkhak-Karmachari Oikya Parishad demanded proper allocation for the teachers of non-government educational institutions.