Hasina alleged that the government is politicising the judiciary, not allowing the opposition to speak in parliament and using the bureaucracy to serve its purpose.

"If the judiciary, legislature and the executive are destroyed, the existence of the state will be at stake ... and this government is doing that," she told the newly elected office-bearers of Gopalganj District Bar Association here yesterday afternoon.

She blamed the government for playing foul with the judiciary and called upon all bar associations and lawyers across the country to raise their voice against this.

Hasina said the chief justice has been appointed superceding two senior judges and some additional judges were not confirmed in their posts. "The government is looking to appoint their own men as judges of higher courts," she alleged.

She pointed out that if party sympathisers are chosen for appointment as judges, "none will get justice and all criminals will be released."

The former prime minister said that during the past Awami League government, judges were appointed following recommendations of the chief justice and with the approval of the president.

Turning to the deteriorating law and order situation, Hasina said 26,108 people were killed, 14,000 women and girls raped and 53,000 terrorists released from jail during the 21 months of the present government.

"This government is patronising criminals and rewarding killers," she said adding, "people have been passing their days in fear."

When the government can reinstate the killers of the father of the nation to public service, what will be the image of the country abroad, she questioned and said a killer of Bangabandhu, who died abroad, had been reinstated in the foreign ministry.

About the recent recovery of a huge quantity of ammunition and explosives in Bogra, Hasina questioned how ammunition manufactured in Bangladesh Ordnance Factory could be smuggled out. She also wanted to know where the ammunition and explosives were being sent.

The opposition leader demanded explanation from the prime minister and the home minister about the ammunition and explosives recovered from Bogra.

Hasina alleged that the government was not only suppressing the truth about the ammunition but also obstructing the press and the electronic media from making objective reports on the matter. She criticised the government for harassing journalists of TV channels ATN and Channel-i.

She said the government now is trying to blame the Awami League for the Bogra ammunition case and questioned why no judicial inquiry is taking place to dig out the truth.

Earlier, addressing the newly elected office-bearers of Jatiya Sramik League, the opposition leader said the BNP-Jamaat government, after coming to power, started to carry out repression on the people. "There are laws in the country, but there is no rule of law," she ridiculed.

Hasina said killings, snatching and other crimes are on the rise, but the prime minister is claiming an improvement in law and order.

About the budget, Hasina said people have been groaning under the huge burden of additional taxes worth Tk 5,000 crore and the VAT.

Without paying the dues of the foreign investors, the government is building the foreign exchange reserve and thus discouraging foreign investment.

She alleged that the government is hatching conspiracy in many ways and called upon the people to get united to oust the present regime.

Jatiya Sramik League executive committee led by its President Abdul Matin Master and General Secrteary Roy Romesh Chandra and the Gopalganj District Bar Association led by its General Secretary ABM Mohiuddin separately met the Awami League president at the party's election office at Dhanmondi.