Without referring to her party's April 30 deadline for unseating the government, she said: "After we formed the government in June 1996, they [BNP] issued repeated deadlines for toppling the Awami League government.

"The BNP chairperson warned to oust our government in three months after we took office. Failing to meet the deadline, she [Khaleda Zia] issued several more deadlines during our five-year term," Hasina, also the leader of the opposition, told the new office-bearers of Barisal Bar Association at her party's Dhanmondi office.

Hasina's comment came in the wake of repeated announcements of the April 30 deadline. Party General Secretary Abdul Jalil mentioned the deadline on several occasions before the AL central working committee endorsed the plan at a recent meeting.

The AL chief said: "Despite their repeated deadlines, we served out the five-year term and worked for people's welfare."

Criticising frequent adjournments of the current parliament session, she said the running of a session for four months was unprecedented. "Is there any precedent of adjourning a session for a month?" she asked, smelling ill-motives in the ruling alliance move.

Referring to the resignation of Badruddoza Chowdhury as president, Hasina also asked: "Is the present president going to face the same fate?"

She accused the Hawa Bhaban-based BNP leaders of widespread corruption and criminal activities, adding the whole nation was worried over their actions.

Citing a recent report of anti-graft watchdog Transparency International that pegged Bangladesh as the top corrupt nation in the world, Hasina said under the present regime, Bangladesh came first in corruption for three unbroken years.

The AL chief said price spiral of essentials, unbridled corruption, downslide in law and order and persecution of political opponents characterised the four-party coalition rule.

"The nation must be freed from the situation," she said.

Advocates Habibur Rahman Mazumder, AKM Jahangir and Abdus Salam Talukdar also spoke at the event.