Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali has said the government supports the measures being taken by court against former IGP Benazir Ahmed.

Besides, he said the army will try former army chief General Aziz Ahmed if his involvement in corruption is found.

The Finance Minister stated these while talking to reporters following a meeting with International Monetary Fund’s executive director Krishnamurthy Venkara Subramanian at his ministry on Sunday (May 26) morning.

Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali said the IMF has advised the government to bring out defaulted amount of loans. “We’ll take action against the loan defaulters accordingly. I want to catch loan defaulters.”

When journalists asked him whether he would be able to take action against loan defaulters as they were very powerful, the Finance Minister replied: “Let’s see whether we can do that.”

In this regard, the minister said, “You know that steps are being taken against the former police chief. Was not he very powerful?” The Finance Minister also replied to some questions over the next fiscal year’s budget.

He said controlling inflation, raising foreign exchange reserves and increasing revenues in the next financial year are the major challenges for the government. “There are a number of obstacles in our economy. We will have to overcome those. Various steps have been taken in the next year’s budget.”

The Finance Minister also said different steps have been taken in the next year’s budget for implementing the pledges in the Awami League’s election manifesto announced before the last national parliamentary elections.