BANGLADESH

Finance minister A M A Muhith is spreading confusion over the Padma bridge project, BNP acting secretary-general says.

"The World Bank says there has been corruption in the project and sent a letter to the government suspending its fund for it. On the other hand the finance minister is creating a smoke screen by saying that there was no corruption in the project," Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Friday.

"He (Muhith) is embellishing to protect himself," he added.

He claimed that prime minister Sheikh Hasina was trying to save her 'corrupted' ministers.

Fakhrul was speaking with reporters after placing wreaths, with opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque, on BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

Farroque, who returned from the US recently, said, "I am undergoing treatment in the US. The government filed a false case against me on the 6th of July. I returned to appear before the court hearing of the case."

"Even though I am yet to recover, I returned in respect of the law."

During the July 6 general strike imposed by BNP, Farroque was injured critically in an attack by police. He went to the US for treatment on July 13.

Asked about BNP's stance in the Narayanganj City Corporation polls, the acting secretary-general of the party said, "It's a local government election. There is no chance for any party to support anyone there. We don't want to talk about this."

He also demanded restoration of the caretaker government system and said, "People took to the street for the demand. The road march to Sylhet is proof. You (the government) have time…leave power soon and hold election under a non-partisan government."