Secretary General of BNP and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdus Salam Taluk-der yesterday described the accusation made by the Opposition Leader of the Jatiya Sangsad on the allowance of the Prime Minister as totally untrue, baseless and an attempt to mislead the people, reports BSS.

In a statement, the BNP Secretary General said, our attention has been drawn to a news item published by the daily Sangbad. Janakantha and Shamachar on July 4 which quoted her as making remarks on the allowance of the Prime Minister

Talukder said the Opposition leader had made accusation In a rally held in the capital on July 3 that the Prime Minister had been drawing monthly allowance worth Taka one crore 20 lakh Inflating her pocket

He\ald the accusation was totally false, baseless and a trick to mislead the people on the one hand and at the same time use of words tn her statement was Indecent on the other Such untrue, irrespon stble and Indecent comments by an honourable personality like Leader of the Opposition was regrettable, he pointed out

The minister said the Prime Minister's office Is the offic e of the Chief executive of the government and the gov eminent had allocated Taka 10 crore 61 lakh and 40 thousand In this year’s budget for meet ing overall expenses of this of fice

Talukder said the budget allocation Included salary and al lowances of the Prime Minis ter, expenses for donations and peoples welfare salary and allowances and other benefits of four hundred officers and employees of the Prime Ministers office, all expenses of transport pool, expenses for various state functions, meetings, conferences and special security force’s expenses. As a matter of fact the amount that ihe leader oi the Opposition mentioned was more than the monthly average expenses of the Prime Minister’s office. The average monthly expense of the Prime Ministers office is less than Taka one crore.

He said the budget alteration of Prime Minister s salary for one year is Tk 1 (one) lakh 70 thousand On the other hand annual budget allocation for the salary of the opposition leader and deputy leader without allowances was Tk 2 (two) lakh and 80 thousand In other words, the salary and allowances of the Prime Minister and Ixtader of the Opposition were almost equal, he said. In thia context, he mentioned that the Prime Minister had been donating tier monthly salary to different schools and mad-rashah

Tlie minister said the Leader of the Opposition In her statement on that day had shown the overall expenses of the Prime Minister s office as 'rime Minister’s allowance. He . aid In this way one day she might show the entire expenses of the government as the allowance of the Prime Minister. He said it was neces-sary to have an idea regarding ' administrative and revenue expenses of the government by all political leaders.

He expressed the hope that the Leader of the Opposition would refrain from issuing misleading statements in future to maintain the dignity of the position of the Leader of Opposition.