Responding to Barakat would be beneath me: Muhith

Finance Minister AMA Muhith finds it below him to respond to former Janata Bank chairman Abul Barkat who questioned his honesty and accused him of nepotism and lying.

When approached on Wednesday, an apparently irritated Muhith said, "I was busy the whole day with various programmes. I've heard that Barkat said things against me."

Asked about his response, the minister said, "Replying to his allegations or questions would be beneath me.

"I said what I had to say on Tuesday."

He quoted a well-known proverb, "The dogs bark but the caravan goes on".

Barkat, who retired as the state-run bank's chairman on Monday, claimed the minister had shut down the bank's CSR programme after his lobbying was ignored.

The following day, Muhith said Barkat was making such comments as there was no chance of his getting an extension.

Reacting to his statement, Barkat, a Dhaka University teacher, on Wednesday questioned the minister's honesty.

He claimed Muhith always sided with foreign institutions and had no loyalty to the ideals of the nation’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman or the Awami League.

Muhith, a finance minister for the third time, brushed off the allegations with obvious annoyance.

"Barkat does not have the merit to question my honesty and patriotism," he said. "In fact, no-one in this country has."

"Let him speak according to his taste. The people are aware of my honesty and patriotism.

"I don't care about what Barakat says and I don't want to respond to his questions," said the minister.