Dhaka, Sep 21 (IANS) The Bangladesh government has admitted that retired judge K.M. Hasan, whom it wants to nominate as chief of the caretaker government to conduct polls, was a party activist but has emphasised that he is "a man of integrity".

Law Minister Moudud Ahmed Wednesday conceded in the Jatiya Sangsad, the country's parliament, that former chief justice Hasan was involved with the politics of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1979 under late president Ziaur Rahman.

He, however, vouched for the former judge's "professional integrity", The Daily Star newspaper said, adding that Hasan "is most likely to be the chief of the next caretaker government".

His likely appointment has been repeatedly rubbished by opposition parties as parliament comes to the close of its last session prior to elections.

At one point of the debate, main opposition Awami League (AL) lawmakers walked out of the house protesting the law minister's "free style" speech, the newspaper said.

Under Bangladesh's constitution, a caretaker government takes charge three months prior to elections and conducts the elections to ensure fairness.

The law minister said: "K.M. Hasan is very competent and was one of the best judges of the Supreme Court."

However, the Awami League has pointed out that not only was Hasan chief of the BNP's International Department but as a judge he had been "too embarrassed" to hear the case pertaining to the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The assassination of Sheikh Mujib, the founding father of independent Bangladesh, in a military putsch in August 1975 is an emotive point for the Awami League party that he started.

Charges were pressed against the assassins 21 years later by an Awami League government that faced problems with sections of the judiciary that were unwilling to conduct the trial.

Awami League lawmaker Suranjit Sen Gupta said in parliament: "Hasan was politicised in the past. He is politicised now and will remain politicised in the future."

"If a man is politicised, he cannot be neutral and the caretaker government will not be neutral under him if he leads it."