Dhaka: Bangladesh on Moday said it will seek transcripts of former ISI chief Asad Durrani`s reported testimony before Pakistan`s Supreme Court about funding of Bangladesh Nationalist Party ahead of 1991 elections.
"This is necessary for us to be clear what is actually written in the transcript as what we know is from a report (originally) run by the Khaleej Times," Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said at a press briefing here.
She said the transcript would reveal "what exactly Pakistani former ISI chief said".
Her comments came as the issue appeared to be dominating Bangladesh`s political centre stage.
The UAE paper`s story had sparking a hue and cry. Ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia`s BNP had immediately rejected the report as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina demanded an explanation from her arch rival on the allegation.
"You (Zia) sold the country (interest) by taking money from those who resorted to genocide. The people of Bangladesh won`t forgive you. Why did you take money from the defeated forces?," she said.
BNP`s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in reply said "our leader (BNP chief) never took money from abroad. The allegation of taking money from ISI is absolutely false and we are collecting information about it".
According to media reports, Durrani made the admission that his agency gave 50 million rupees to Khaleda Zia to help her win the 1991 parliamentary polls.
PTI
