"The coming general election is very important for the country and people will thwart all conspiracies to foil the polls," she said while addressing a public rally at Samad Smriti Maidan at Kaliganj yesterday.

The prime minister accused the opposition of lacking patriotism, saying that instead of responding initially to the government's call for dialogue, it (opposition) preferred foreign intervention on the issue.

"We had earlier invited them to the dialogue but they did not turn up. They wanted that the dialogue to be held at the residence of a foreign envoy...this is the example of their patriotism," she said.

She urged people to vote for the BNP-led alliance in the coming general election to make the country self-reliant in all sectors.

Khaleda said people don't want to support and vote for those who want to destroy public property and resort to destructive activities.

The prime minister said the opposition has gone mad sensing that they have no chance in the future because of the massive development in all sectors across the country done by the BNP-led alliance government in the last five years.

She alleged that the opposition has taken the path of indiscipline and anarchy to halt country's forward march towards self-reliance in all sectors.

Presided over by local MP Kazi Alauddin, the meeting was also addressed, among others, by Communications Minister Nazmul Huda, Prime Minister's Political Secretary Harris Chowdhury, Habibul Islam Habib MP and Dr Shahidul Alam.

Earlier, the prime minister laid the foundation stone of Jessore Science and Technology University at Ambottala on 35 acres of land. The project, involving over Tk 33 crore, will be completed by 2008.

She also inaugurated the newly constructed Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah Bridge over the Kakshialy and Kaliganj-Ashashuni approach road.

She distributed documents of land among some landless people under a rehabilitation project.