Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has come down heavily on a section of intellectuals in Bangladesh, saying elections bring out their conspiratorial side.
"Whenever election comes, their conspiracies increase," the prime minister said while giving her introductory speech at Thursday's Awami League Central Working Committee meeting, held at her official residence, Ganabhaban.
She said the country's development under her government will be seen by visionaries, while those who are blind will not see anything.
"We have some intellectuals who are intellectually handicapped - I am saying that the intellectuals are disabled because they do not see any development and always think about how to remove the Awami League from power," she said.
She questioned why the intellectuals are busy plotting against the Awami League, before answering herself: "The only reason is that when there is an unusual situation or martial law, these people get some attention," she said, before branding them "worthless" when democratic government prevails.
That, she said, is why the said individuals feel very disappointed when the country is governed democratically.
She advised such intellectuals to open their eyes and suggest the government ways to do better work, and use their knowledge and learning for the welfare of the country as a whole.
The prime minister struck a confident note, saying the Awami League will retain power in the next general election with the trust and confidence of the people.
She mentioned that the Awami League always does politics for the welfare of the people and gains power by winning their hearts.
The prime minister said her party never wants any undemocratic force to come to power in the country and hinder its democracy.
She questioned how the BNP, which got only 30 seats in the 2008 general election, dreams of gaining power again with the people's vote.
"The BNP is not doing anything better for the country through which it can return to power again," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said since its inception, the BNP has played ducks and drakes with the people's voting rights.
In this regard, she held up party founder Ziaur Rahman's "farcical" yes/no vote (referendum) and parliamentary election to cling to power, which she said he grabbed "illegally after violating the country's constitution".
Referring to the February 15, 1996 election, the prime minister said Khaleda Zia also held a farcical election in which no political parties took part.
She mentioned that the people did not accept Khaleda Zia for rigging elections, and they compelled her to step down in just six weeks.
Pointing out killing, disappearance and arson, Sheikh Hasina said Zia introduced killings and disappearances in the country, while Khaleda Zia is the pioneer of arson.
Recalling the sufferers of such acts, Sheikh Hasina questioned how any humane person in good conscience could support the perpetrators.
The prime minister in her speech also elaborated on the success stories and achievements of her government and said the country witnesses the desired level of development under only the Awami League.
