Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif yesterday termed Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) comment on Indian credit for Bangladesh as baseless. He also said India is giving credit facility with much lower interest rate than that ofWorld Bank (WB).

Hanif's comment came after BNP Standing Committee member M K Anwar's remark on Indian credit yesterday.

The AL joint general secretary was speaking at a function marking the National Mourning Day at party's Bangabandhu Avenue office. Bangladesh Jubo Mahila League organised the programme.

M K Anwar said interest rate excluding service charge is 0.25 percent if it was taken from the multinational banks like WB and Asian Development Bank (ADB) instead of Indian Exim Bank with 1.75 percent interest rate.

Contradicting Anwar's view, the AL joint general secretary said if two percent service charge is added with WB's 0.25 percent interest, then the total interest rate stands at 2.25 percent.

Mahbubul Alam said the Indian Exim Bank is completely under state ownership but BNP said it is a private bank, which he termed a" deliberate comment".

He said, "We want development with the assistance of the neighbouring country, but BNP is creating confusion about the Indian credit as they don't want it."

Jubo Mahila League President Nazma Akhter chaired the function while Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury spoke as the chief guest. State Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Advocate Qamrul Islam, Jubo Mahila League General Secretary Apu Ukil also addressed the function.