Abdul Quader Mirza, younger brother of Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, yesterday urged journalists to look into the wealth statement of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina before checking his.

Mirza, who has stirred up a debate in the country's political arena with some of his recent remarks, made the comment while addressing a street rally in Noakhali's Companiganj upazila.

Citing the name of a national daily, he said, "They have asked me to reveal my wealth statement. Why would I do this? Thousands of people are the sources of my wealth. Thousands of my supporters are across the world. They give me money. Should I unveil this to you [journalists]?

"You [journalists] will have to see the wealth statement of Sheikh Hasina before looking into mine. Does Sheikh Hasina have any businesses? She does politics and everything else with the help of people. Maybe, her family members help her.

"Don't people help Sheikh Hasina do politics? Don't people help Obaidul Quader, Khaleda Zia, Mirza Fakhrul [Islam Alamgir] in a similar way?" he asked.

Mirza is the mayor of Basurhat municipality in Noakhali. He is contesting the Basurhat municipality polls, slated for January 16, for the mayoral post on the AL ticket.

At the rally in Charhazari area under the municipality yesterday, he slammed some journalists alleging that they were conspiring against him.

"My prime target is to ensure a free and fair election on January 16. This is a part of my movement. Despite all the conspiracies against me, I will not step back," he said.

He further alleged that an Awami League leader in Noakhali embezzled thousands of crore of Taka through tender manipulation and urged one of the incumbent election commissioners to monitor the upcoming election to make it free and fair.

He also sought blessings for ailing Barrister Moudud Ahmed, a BNP standing committee member from Noakhali, who has been in a hospital in the capital since December 30.

Mirza, at least on two occasions, has claimed that if elections were held in a free and fair manner, all AL MPs in greater Noakhali, except for the ones in three or four constituencies, "would not have found ways to escape".

While unveiling his election manifesto on December 31 last year, he brought allegations against some local lawmakers and AL leaders of corruption, tender manipulation and recruitment scams at the local level.

He claimed that the district AL committee was formed, excluding the party's devoted and tested leaders.

"With regret, I want to say some sycophants often claim that the BNP's bastions in Noakhali and Laxmipur have been destroyed because of certain leaders," he had said recently.

"Have the BNP's bastions really been destroyed? If elections were held in a fair manner, our MPs, except for the ones in three or four constituencies in greater Noakhali, would not have found ways to escape. That's the truth."

Mirza's remarks have put the AL top brass in an awkward position. Cashing in on the situation, BNP leaders said Mirza's remarks proved that the government has been deceiving people, using the Election Commission.

Asked about his brother's remarks, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said no one except Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is essential for the party.

"There is no scope for sparing anyone under special consideration. The party chief can make any decision over violation of party discipline," he told journalists at a programme in the capital on Wednesday without mentioning his brother's name.

Meanwhile, in reply to a question, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud yesterday said Mirza's remarks proved that democracy prevails in the country.

"Here anybody can express his or her views in a democratic environment. Many leaders expressed their views this way in the past … Mirza is getting the media coverage as he is the brother of Obaidul Quader," he told journalists at the secretariat.