The BNP yesterday asked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to apologise for making “false and defamatory remarks” about its Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

It also threatened to take legal action against the PM if she didn't do so.

“The prime minister's comments on siphoning off money by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia are totally false, fabricated and baseless. The main motive behind making such a fictional story on corruption is to tarnish the image of Khaleda Zia and her family members,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Addressing a press conference at the party chief's Gulshan office, he said, “Apologise for publicising false and defamatory information. Stop spreading false information against Khaleda Zia. Otherwise, we will be forced to take legal action against you [prime minister].”

The BNP leader said the PM's remarks were not only “baseless”, but also “illegal and punishable”.

Fakhrul called upon the PM to withdraw her comments immediately. “We strongly protest and condemn her comments. We call upon her to refrain from making such indecent remarks.”

Speaking at a press conference at the Gono Bhaban on Thursday, Hasina alleged that the BNP chief laundered huge amount of money to Saudi Arabia. She said it was regrettable that the news was reported by the foreign press, not by the local media.

“It is very unfortunate that I have seen no interest on the part of the local media, except for two TV channels and two newspapers, to run the news," she said adding that “I don't understand why the [local] media is so weak towards the patrons of assailants and anti-liberation forces.”

Fakhrul yesterday said no responsible media outlet can run such false and fabricated news.

He further alleged that making ill efforts to force the media to run imaginary corruption reports against Khaleda and her two sons only proved the PM's “political vengeance, meanness and shallowness”.