"I want to tell them firmly that we won't put up with such interference," she said amid loud desk thumping by treasury bench deputies, and denied existence of any Islamist militancy or religious extremism in the country.

"We don't care for anyone's browbeating and dictation," the prime minister said. "We'll build the nation with the help of 28 crore hands of its 14 crore people."

"I want to tell the foreigners categorically that Bangladesh will not be run by any diktats or orders of any foreign force," Khaleda told the house discussing on a thanksgiving motion on the president's speech to parliament amid a boycott by Awami League (AL) lawmakers.

"We've parliament and laws to govern the country, and there's no necessity of any one dictating us," she said, "We've won our independence through a bloody war and sacrificed lives for our mother tongue, and these sacrifices won't move at any body's frown or dictates."

The leader of the house accused the main opposition AL of conspiring with foreign agencies to oust her government and of projecting Bangladesh as a failed state. She urged the opposition to desist from such activities.

Khaleda said sensing defeat in the next parliamentary elections AL has launched an anti-state campaign at home and abroad. She rejected the opposition's demand for reforms in the caretaker government system and stressed that the next general elections will be held under the caretaker government in its current form.

She, however, urged the opposition to table its reform proposals pertaining to electoral laws in parliament.

During her over an hour speech, the prime minister made a blistering attack on AL for its absence in parliament. She said, "Instead of discharging its constitutional duties, the party [AL] is rather busy on the streets creating anarchy."

CONSPIRACY TO SPLIT THE ALLIANCE
On reported existence of Taliban and al-Qaeda in Bangladesh, the leader of the house said that there is no such element in Bangladesh. "It's a propaganda against the government and the country. And it [the propaganda] is aimed at causing a rift within the four-party alliance," she claimed.

Referring to recent arrests of some people for their suspected involvement in Islamist militancy and religious extremism, Khaleda said, "That were not problems of extremism and fundamentalism, rather we believe those were law and order problems."

She said her government would not let anyone indulge in unlawful and anti-social acts in the name of religion or politics or any thing else.

"We're not a fundamentalist government," she said, "The alliance government is resolved to take stern action against those who would try to destabilise the country."

"We won't give any one scope to tarnish the image of Bangladesh as a moderate Muslim democratic country," she added.

Without mentioning any particular organisation, the prime minister said, "Islamic organisations have long been working to spread the message of Islam and its ideology. They've also made an important contribution to maintaining social integrity and harmony; and there's no allegation against them."

Listing the development activities of her government in the last three years she said internationally renowned economists are now suggesting many countries to follow development strategies of Bangladesh. "This proves that we're not a failed nation, but successful."

SESSION PROROGUED
The 15th session of parliament was prorogued yesterday amidst a boycott by AL lawmakers. Speaker Jamir Uddin Sircar read out the president's prorogation order in the house at the end of the session, the first this year, which had 22 working days.

The AL lawmakers refrained from taking part in the session, as their demand for adjourning the session after the condolence motion on the death of Shah AMS Kibria was not met.