Dhaka, Mar 10 (bdnews24.com) – BNP standing committee member Chowdhury Tanbir Ahmed Siddiky says party chief Khaleda Zia never sought money in return for the Dhaka mayoral ticket, as the son claimed Monday.
He dismissed Chowdhury Irad Ahmed Siddiky's remarks as "false and unwanted".
"What my son said was false," Tanbir said at a press briefing at Gulshan home.
Irad at a media briefing Monday alleged that "BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia demanded Tk 5 crore".
"Khaleda Zia never demanded money from my son and his comments on party's some senior leaders were unwanted," Tanbir said.
"I'm protesting his comments."
Khaleda has rushed a meeting of the party's top policymaking body at 7pm.
At Monday's briefing with his father in the audience, Irad said, "I went to see her. I expressed my interest (in running for Dhaka mayor)."
"She asked me if I had enough money. She asked for Tk 5 crore for election (expenses). But I am no (Mosaddek Ali) Falu or (Mirza) Abbas," he added.
Irad had called mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, former mayors BNP's Mirza Abbas and AL's Mohammad Hanif "all corrupt", who "failed to deliver".
He said none among Khoka, Abbas, A S M Hannan Shah and former FBCCI chief Abdul Awal Mintoo—the likely BNP candidates—was acceptable.
"There are allegations of corruption against them all. After 1/11, all of them were charged and are facing trial. Some of them had to go to jail."
Tanbir at one stage stood and said: "The news conference is over. Irad is a representative of the new generation."
Tuesday, he said, "What my son had said about Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Mosaddek Ali Falu and Mirza Abbas, my FBCCI successor Abdul Awal Mintoo, Awai League's Mohammad Hanif and A S M Hannan Shah was false."
"I'm hurt by his comments."
Irad did not belong to BNP and he neither had the rights to make the remarks, Tanbir said.
"I was present at Irad's press conference, but I didn't realise he would talk this way. I had not immediately comment on his remarks, lest another unwarranted situation erupted," he said when asked why he did not speak out Monday.
He reaffirmed his allegiance to BNP, saying he has been a "solid gold" of the party.
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