Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday quipped that the BNP-led 20-party alliance now has only 8-10 parties as many have quit the alliance.

"There’re hardly 8-10 parties in the 20-party alliance that they formed long ago. All others have fled (the alliance),” he said while exchanging views with reporters at his ministry’s conference room in the city.

Dr Mahmud, also Awami League joint secretary general, said BNP leaders often raised their voices for the formation of a national unity. “But the unity they formed has got punctured like a balloon,” he said.

“I would like to tell Mirza Fakhrul that they need to take preparations for the next election, concentrating on managing their own house instead,” he said.

The minister alleged that BNP leaders harm the sanctity and dignity of the Jatiya Press Club by using it like the office of a political party to hold rallies.

"Definitely, there can be discussions in favour of or against the government or discussions of civil society at the press club. But the press club shouldn’t be made the venue of rallies as the way the rallies are held in front of its Nayapaltan office. We came to know that BNP did so on Sunday,” he said.

The Information Minister said the Press Club is an organization of journalists. It is a national institution but Mirza Fakhrul and his colleagues arranged a rally there, he said.

“I personally think it has harmed the sanctity and dignity of the press club,” he said.