Senior ministers strongly condemned the TIB reports on corruption in Bangladesh and questioned its source of fund and intention as the opposition demanded discussion on the report in the parliament.

The local government and rural development (LGRD), health, law and environment ministers launched scathing remarks against the TIB when AL members Suranjeet Sengupta and Mohammad Nasim bitterly criticised the government and demanded discussion on latest TIB report.

Rejecting the report, the ministers said it was 'politically motivated' and a conspiracy to tarnish the images of the government and the country as well.

After Maghrib prayer break, AL lawmaker Suranjeet Sengupta initiated the one and a half hour unscheduled debate. Mentioning the TIB report, he said the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry has scored top in the corruption list of ministries and wanted an open discussion on this.

"The country became the champion in the TIB corruption list for the fourth time in a row but the government has no accountability in this regard." he added.

Dismissing the report LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said, "We rejected the report with hatred...this a politically motivated report to tarnish the images of the government and the country."

"Actually, they prepared the report to encourage the corruption... they wanted to see the country as a failed state...the people who work in the very organisation actually wanted to make their fortune only", he added. He said, "We never had confidence on the TIB report."

Raising question of the authenticity of the TIB report, the Law Minister Moudud Ahmed reiterated that the TIB prepared the report to tarnish the images of the country. "We neither give importance nor recognise the TIB report," he added.

Echoing the same view, Health Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said, "We don't know the source of the money by which the organisation is running."

Justice Latifur Rahman's House
Referring to The Daily Star report AL legislator Fazlul Karim Selim, taking the floor on a point of order, accused Prime Minister Khaleda Zia of allotting official residence to former chief advisor to caretaker government Justice Latifur Rahman at Mintoo Road violating her oath.

He also demanded a probe into the matter and cancellation of the allotment to Justice Latifur. Terming him a 'national traitor' Selim said, "He was awarded by the BNP government for his contributing in vote rigging in 2001 general elections."

Housing and Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas did not make any comments over the matter though he was present in the parliament at that time.

Senior ministers did not make any comments over the allotment to Justice Latifur Rahman.

Speaker Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, however, expunged all the 'un-parliamentary, undignified and defamatory' word spoken by the AL legislator Sheikh Selim.