"Since a possibility for a dialogue exists, I hope the government will accept the demand at the discussion table. Accepting the demand it should give up the plan for stealing votes and should rather concentrate on protecting the people's votes," Hasina, also the president of Awami League (AL), said while addressing the House on the last day of the 8th parliament yesterday.

In her concluding speech that went on for an hour and eight minutes, Hasina pledged to reduce prices of everyday essentials, solve the crisis of power supply within a year and bring real infrastructure development in the country if her party is voted to power in the next election.

Branding Justice KM Hasan as a BNP partisan and accusing him of being involved with the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said, "We want a neutral and non-partisan caretaker government in accordance with the constitution. If KM Hasan is appointed it will be a violation of the constitution, as the constitution says that a caretaker government must be neutral and non-partisan."

The leader of the opposition asserted that the chief adviser to the next caretaker government should be appointed on the basis of a consensus and the Election Commission must be reconstituted to ensure a free and fair election.

"Under the present Election Commission no election can be free and fair," Hasina said.

She also demanded restoration of the previous provisions in election laws regarding the duties of law enforcers during an election by repealing the provisions introduced in 2001 during the regime of the last caretaker government.

Hasina, also a former prime minister, said BNP-led ruling alliance has completed all arrangements to rig the polls sensing a defeat in the next election. "For this the government does not want to bring electoral reforms. But the people will not allow it to jeopardise their constitutional right to franchise," she said adding that the time is not too far when the people will get rid of the misrule of the four-party alliance government.

Terming the five-year rule of the current government as a dark era, she said the people are anxiously waiting to get rid of the repressive rulers. "After this darkness, light will shine and the people's lives will be bright."

The four-party alliance government registered 1.40 crore fake voters, appointed 300 of its flunkeys as upazila election officers, and arranged the administration at all levels with six layers of partisan persons to steal votes in an effort to come back to power at any cost, Hasina said.

The AL chief asked the prime minister why she wants to steal votes and engineer the election while she (PM) claims flourishing developments in the country.

Throwing an apparent challenge to the ruling alliance amid repeated applause from AL lawmakers, the opposition leader called upon the people to resist BNP-Jamaat foot soldiers with whatever they have to protect the polls. Hasina urged the people to make a list of criminals and their godfathers for resisting them.

The leader of the opposition heavily came down on the government accusing it of completely failing to run the state, and of failures to curb skyrocketing prices of essentials, unbridled corruption, acute shortage of power, rise of militancy, politicisation of the administration, extra-judicial killings, violation of human rights, and torture on minorities and journalists.

Sheikh Hasina apprehended that the country's hard-earned democracy might be destroyed due to the prime minister's greed for power, election engineering and conspiracies to retain power.

"We fear that democracy in the country might be destroyed for her (prime minister) greed for power, election engineering, and tricks," Hasina said.

"…Take a lesson from the events in Thailand. See the dead end your (prime minister) friend Thaksin has hit. We do not want a situation like that to occur in Bangladesh," the AL chief said urging the prime minister to accept the reform proposals to hold a free and fair election in the country.

In her concluding speech, Sheikh Hasina however thanked Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, cabinet ministers, lawmakers of all parties, officials, employees and law enforcers of parliament, and journalists.

"If I can go to power again, I will reduce prices of everyday essentials, solve the crisis of power supply within a year by increasing generation of power, and bring real infrastructure development in the country," Hasina said adding that she will also return to the people the money 'looted' by the prime minister, her sons, cabinet ministers and BNP-Jamaat leaders.

The former prime minister blasted the government for making the parliament 'ineffective' during its regime. "Although, Awami League lawmakers submitted a total of 2511 notices and raised 922 questions to the prime minister, none was accepted or discussed, rather I was interrupted 86 times during my addresses to the House," the AL president said.