, June 16 -- Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Tuesday dropped a strong hint that he supports England in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, though he stopped short of naming his favourite team.

He gave the hint while responding to a question from senior journalist Sumon Mahmud while exchanging views with reporters covering the BNP beat after having lunch with them at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre at Agargaon.

As the journalist asked which team he supports in the World Cup, Tarique Rahman offered a light-hearted and diplomatic reply. Without naming any team directly, he smiled and said, "I spent a long time in one country. You can understand."

He then turned to the journalist and asked, "You got your answer,...