Dhaka, Sep 10 BNP spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said Finance Minister AMA Muhith will be made accountable for all the 'financial scams' including the Hallmark loan rip-off taking place under the incumbent government. BNP's Acting Secretary General made the comment at a discussion at the National Press Club in the afternoon, a day after Muhith had castigated him for calling for his resignation.
"Thousands of crores of taka have been looted from stock market, Destiny and quick rental power plant (projects). Sonali Bank's money was swindled through Hallmark. A massive corruption took place in the Padma bridge project. The Finance Minister would have to answer for all these," he said.
"He (Finance Minister) said he has been trying to leave for 9 months…You (the minister) won't be allowed to escape without explaining theses scams. Your government does not have an escape route either," he added.
Bangladesh Bank in May found out that some corrupt officials of the bank's Ruposhi Bangla Hotel Branch disbursed Tk 36 billion between 2011 and May 2012 to several firms without notable collateral. Hallmark Group is alleged to have taken over Tk 26 billion alone.
The minister drew widespread flak after he said that given Bangladesh's Tk 400-billion portfolio of commercial bank loans, the Hallmark sum was tiny and that it would in no way affect the entire banking system. He also commented that there was no need for such hullabaloo in the media over the Hallmark scam since Tk 40 billion was not a big deal for the government.
A newspaper Monday quoted the minister as saying that he had been trying over the past nine months to relinquish his job. But he has not decided yet over his resignation or retirement, said the report.
On Sunday Muhith slammed Alamgir for demanding his resignation.
"He lies often. I don't know him much. I know him a little. But I see his style is that he brings forward lies very well," said Muhith.
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