Former PMs reject corruption charges

DHAKA, June 8 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's two former prime ministers have rejected accusations of corruption and abuse of power and said the country's army-backed interim administration had targeted them to tarnish their image.

"All these charges are false and baseless," immediate past prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia told reporters, breaking a long silence since January when the administration launched a drive to clean up politics ahead of elections late next year.

Khaleda's rival Sheikh Hasina, chief of the Awami League and a former prime minister, also denied allegations of extortion and corruption against her. "They are telling all lies. They are devoid of any truth," she told reporters.

News via Reuters AlertNet