Awami League advisory council member and Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday said BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has sided with the militants by blaming Awami League of the targeted killings, reports BSS. "Khaleda Zia's remarks are premeditated, baseless and a misleading propaganda against Awami League. She has been trying to cover-up the real culprits," he said in reply to a question after inaugurating the three-day National Fruit Exhibition and Fruit-bearing Tree Plantation Fortnight-2016 as the chief guest at Khamarbari in the capital. On the occasion, the agriculture ministry organised a seminar on "Take more local fruits, if you want economic solvency, better nutrition and health" at the auditorium of the Krishibid Institution premises at Farmgate. Tofail Ahmed attended the seminar as the chief guest while Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture Ministry Mokbul Hossain were present as the special guests with Agriculture Secretary Mainuddin Abdullah in the chair. Giving emphasis on plantation of more trees for the sake of ecological balance, Tofail Ahmed said plantation of different saplings of trees could make people self-reliant economically. "Fruits produced in Bangladesh have huge demand abroad. Nearly 80 species of fruits are being produced now in the country. A large quantity of fruits could be exported after meeting the domestic requirement," the minister said. He added that under the 7th five-year plan, the government is contemplating to enhance the numbers of non-traditional exportable goods expanding the export market. Matia Chowdhury said the Agriculture Ministry has organised the Fruit-bearing Tree Plantation Fortnight this year too to make people more conscious and encourage them on tree plantation. "Bangladesh has been marching ahead under the guidance of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The country will soon be self-sufficient in fruit-production also as more species of fruits are being produced in Bangladesh than the past. Bangladesh can earn a huge amount of foreign currency by exporting fruits with modernization of processing units and scientific discovery of more fruit species," she added.