Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday criticised media over publishing reports on the 'resignation' of Suranjit Sengupta as railway minister.
She said a minister remains in the post until the prime minister accepts his or her resignation and the president puts signature on it.
“We made Suranjit minister without portfolio as we did not accept the resignation of the railway minister,” she said while addressing the 40th founding anniversary of Bangladesh Krishok League, farmers' wing of the Awami League, at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city.
Hasina said as the present government believes in transparency, Suranjit voluntarily 'resigned' setting a rare example after his APS was found with sacks full of money.
She said investigation into the cash scandal of Tk 70 lakh is underway and the result would be known on its completion.
The prime minister alleged that former prime minister and BNP leader Khaleda Zia did not resign even though an APS working for her had indulged in corruption.
She claimed that due to the corruption of the then BNP-led four-party alliance government, the World Bank had stopped funding in nine projects.
Chaired by Krishok League president Mirza Jalil, the meeting was also addressed by Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry Rahmat Ali, AL Organising Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Krishok League General Secretary Motahar Hossain Mollah.