Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked BNP to sue The Washington Times as it was claiming that the US daily had published an article forging Khaleda Zia's signature.

"Why don't you [BNP) sue The Washington Times if the signature was really fake?” she questioned while addressing a meeting

of expatriate Bangladeshis living in Britain and other European countries at Hilton Hotel here on Friday evening (local time).

She blasted the opposition leader for writing the article requesting the US government for cancelling the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) facility for Bangladeshi products to the US market.

The prime minister alleged that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has actually tarnished country's image by requesting the US government to impose economic sanctions on Bangladesh.

The BNP chairperson, said Hasina, disowned the article only after the suspension of the GSP facility to escape blame.

Some senior BNP leaders were now claiming that the write-up was published using fake signature of Begum Khaleda Zia, she noted.

"But initially they [senior leaders) made various comments in favour of the article explaining its justification.”

In this connection, the premier said The Washington Times has recently made it clear that it was Khaleda Zia who had written the article. "This has proved how big a liar is BNP, ” she added.

She urged the expatriate Bangladeshis to find out the London-based public relation firm BTP, which pursued the US daily to publish Khaleda Zia’s article, and unearth the fact.

Talking about militancy, terrorism and corruption patronised by BNP-Jamaat during its rule, Hasina warned that the country's image would be tarnished again if they return to power.

After assuming office, the present government revived the country's image by containing terrorism and militancy with an iron hand, and implementing massive development programmes, she mentioned.

The government, she pointed out, has also ensured the food and social security of people as well as minimised public sufferings to a great extent by generating more electricity. "No government other than the Awami League could carry out such development programmes in the past," claimed the premier.

Hasina requested the expatriate Bangladeshis to project the tremendous successes of the government ahead of the next general election.

Referring to violent activities and vandalism in early May by Jamaat-e-

Islami and Hefajat-e Islam, she said a deep-rooted conspiracy was hatched to unseat the government, but the governmentfoiledit.

She complained that BNP, Jamaat and Hefajat activists carried out arson attacks in and outside the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, torched banks, government offices, shops, vehicles and copies of the holy Quran.

The poor and hapless hawkers in the Baitul Mukarram area turned paupers as their small shops were burned by the miscreants, she noted adding that "People are well aware of those who had burned the holy Quran, felled trees and torched shops of the hawkers in the name of movement."

The prime minister received donations from the expatriate Bangladeshis for the victims of the Rana Plaza tragedy. In this connection, she said her government was providing financial assistance to the injured and the family members of the deceased victims.

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, president of UK AL Sultan Mahmud Sharif, its general secretary Shamsuddin Khan and president of all European AL Anil Das Gupta were present, among others.