At a discussion with the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) in the city, Saifur said, "The donors have to align with our policy, not us with theirs."

The comments followed queries of journalists on whether the government has changed its attitude towards bilateral donors, as the prime minister in her speech in parliament on Tuesday and Saifur in his earlier statements had blasted the donors.

"We've not changed our attitude. But the nature of Bangladesh's aid relationship that existed in 1972 or 1980 no longer exists. That kind of dependence doesn't exist too," Saifur quipped. "Now there is no more that sort of bilateral donors or partnerships."

"There are some countries, who can leave, if they can't adjust to our internal policy and programmes," he added.

Saifur referred to a recent aid meeting in Paris where Bangladesh presented a position paper on aid, and said the donors accepted the paper in which he hammered away at the idea of 'performance-based aid, rather than condition-based one.'

A performance-based aid has specific target achievement indicators, while a condition-based aid carries with it donors' diktats on how the government should utilise it, he explained.

"Donors sometimes try to impose their own policies and programmes,'" the finance minister noted. "But dictating conditions for aid is not acceptable." According to him, "If performance-based aid is given, we expect to get more loans."

In support of the prime minister's parliament speech, Saifur said, "In the name of handing out bilateral aid, it's inappropriate to interfere in the political process of a country."

"The election process of the country will be decided by the people, the government and the opposition. It's not a concern of the outsiders," he went on.

The minister lambasted the UNDP, saying, "It's not a major donor. If it wants to give any opinion, it can do so through our embassy in New York. But it can't become involved in the local politics in the name of helping the economy. How the election should be held or how the caretaker government should function is not any of its concerns."

Referring to the recent donors' meeting in Washington on Bangladesh, Saifur alleged the opposition instigated the donors to holding that meet, adding, "Some bilateral countries took an aggressive position there."

"But that meeting did appreciate the improvements Bangladesh has made in several development indicators. And some member countries there also told the World Bank not to get involved with the country's political process, as it contradicts the charter under which the bank operates," Saifur noted.

On another issue, of foreign currency reserve, the minister said the country is facing heavy pressure there because of higher imports. "But," he was hopeful that, "We'll get development support from the donors which will help us maintain the reserve."

Same as before, Saifur in that discussion bashed the media saying, "Their headlines and politically-motivated reports are destroying Bangladesh's image abroad."

He resented the fact that the donors and the press consider the deaths in 'crossfire and encounters' as human rights violation. "But, we're not doing it by framing any law," Saifur maintained, "Only killers are taken to encounters. If the killings by the killers are not human rights violation, how can any one term the death of a killer a human rights violation?"

He urged the media to come up with more 'constructive' news.