Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday demanded resignation of Food Minister Quamrul Islam for his failure to check the rice price hike and 'corruption'.

"The unusual rice price hike is an ominous sign. We think the food minister should quit taking the responsibility for it," he said.

The BNP leader came up with the demand while speaking at a discussion arranged by Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.

Slamming the food minister for his comment that pro-BNP businessmen are pushing up the rice prices, Fakhrul said Quamrul is trying to shift the blame on BNP only to hush up his 'incompetence and corruption'.

He voiced concern that the government's food stock has come down to only 1.91 lakh metric tonnes due to its lacks of farsightedness.

Fakhrul alleged that the unprecedented corruption is taking place in Padma bridge project. "A proposal was placed again to increase the bridge construction cost by 23 percent. They're raising the cost every year for widespread corruption."

The BNP leader alleged that the government is giving the ruling party men the scope to plunder public money by hanging onto power using the state machinery and different forces.

He urged people to get united to save the country from the grasp of current 'usurper' government.

Speaking at another discussion programme at National Press Club, BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain also criticised the government for its failure to arrest the soaring prices of rice.

He said the common and poor people are going through immense sufferings for the raise in rice prices during this holy month of Ramadan.

The BNP leader also came down hard on the Prime Minister for staying in Sweden when many people were killed and injured in landslides in four districts. "They (govt) are least bothered about public sufferings as they're not elected with people's votes."