DHAKA, Jan 17, 2022 (BSS) - State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said he has documents about how much money BNP-Jamaat paid to the US lobby firms over the last five years.

   "I have proof about how much money BNP-Jamaat paid to US lobby firms over the last five years," said Shahriar while speaking on the thanksgiving motion on President M Abdul Hamid's speech at the Jatiya Sangsad today. 

  Shahriar said the first document he got was on hiring a lobbyist -- Akin Company Associates -- in the United States in 2015. BNP signed the agreement using its Nayapaltan office address which was valid for three years and US$ 50,000 was given per month, he said, adding that a total of nearly two million dollars were paid to the associates.

   "I have 10 such documents," he said and showed the House some documents.

   Mentioning that each political party submits its accounts on expenditure and income to the Election Commission (EC), he said BNP should be asked whether the money it paid to lobbyists was given with Bangladesh Bank's approval.

   "If the money was not paid with Bangladesh Bank's approval, we want an investigation whether BNP laundered the money of orphans abroad to pay for lobbying," he said and added, "I want to know the answer from the EC."

  Shahriar Alam said no country in the world can determine the future of Bangladesh. The 16 crore people of Bangladesh will determine the future of the country, he added.