Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday wondered why UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon phoned her to learn about a "mere" city corporation election, which the BNP boycotted halfway.

The PM was discussing the UN chiefs phone call at the weekly cabinet meeting at Bangladesh Secretariat.

The prime minister hinted that BNP might have lobbied UN Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco for Ban Ki-moon's phone call, according to several cabinet members.

Now politically bankrupt, the BNP is depending on the foreigners, Hasina said.

The PM added that she would never bow down to anyone under pressure or threat. "1 will bow down only before the almighty Allah," she was quoted as saying by a minister.

Widely reported irregularities in the last week's city corporation polls and BNP's boycott featured prominently in the telephone conversation between Ban Ki-moon and Sheikh Hasina on Friday.

Talking to the PM, the UN chief said BNP's participation in the Dhaka and Chittagong city elections was relieving, but he expressed concern over the party's pulling out midway through the race, media reports said.

Expressing surprise at Ban's phone call, the prime minister said, "He had

called me to know about the city elections. But had he called Mamata Banerjee [West Bengal chief minister] after recent municipality elections there?"

Some ministers also joined the discussion and echoed the PM's views.

Hasina, who chaired the meeting, told the ministers and state ministers that the city polls in Dhaka and Chittagong were free and fair, cabinet sources said.

In this regard, some ministers said the city polls were much better than the January 5 parliamentary elections as no life was lost this time.

They also castigated the BNP for boycotting the elections.

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