Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal yesterday said Islami Bank has no link to any unlawful activities, and there was nothing wrong in taking money from the bank to arrange the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
“Some might think that Islami Bank is involved with terrorism financing, but as a minister I have no information in this regard, and so far as I know the government has no such information,” he said at a press briefing at the NEC conference room.
His reaction came in response to the remark made by Bangladesh Economic Association President Abul Barkat who held Planning Minister responsible for taking money from the bank for sponsoring ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 yesterday.
The economist at a function recently said the government was wrong in making Islami Bank the sponsor of Cricket World Cup.
“This is suspicious, motivated and irrelevant to make such comment four years after the world cup,” said the minister.
“For sponsoring the World Cup, I requested all the banks, but Islami Bank responded and gave Tk10 crore,” he said.
Kamal added that the prime minister knew it and encouraged him to do that. Islami Bank is doing business legally in Bangladesh, and so, where is the problem in taking money from them? he posed a question.
In replying to a query, he said I have no stake in Islami Bank.