Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon all to stay united and protect Bangladesh from the clasps of the evil forces, saying BNP does not want elections but looks forward to creating an abnormal situation in the country.

"They [BNP] want to push Bangladesh into an unstable situation again. So, all have to remain alert," she told a community reception accorded to her organised by the expatriate Bangladeshis in Italy at her place of residence in Rome yesterday.

Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, sought votes for her party's electoral symbol "boat" in the next general elections, saying AL will have to come to power in building "Smart Bangladesh".

She alleged that the BNP doesn't want election; rather it wants to create an abnormal situation in the country.

"The election will definitely be held as per the constitution. BNP knows that the people will not vote for them. So, BNP wants to destabilise the country. Why would the people go to vote for those who were driven out due to vote-rigging?" she added.

Sheikh Hasina questioned how BNP could seek votes after killing people through arson violence?

"They [BNP] don't want election. They lick the legs of some of their foreign lords and they want the people of the country to [be made to] suffer by them [the foreign lords]," she said. "They want to hamper the ongoing development trend in the country."

The prime minister reminded all that BNP never wants welfare of the countrymen; they want to create an unstable situation in Bangladesh.

Referring to sanctions on some Rab officials and announcement of visa restrictions by the USA, the premier said, "Sanction is imposed on them, by whom, we've curbed terrorism and militancy. We can't understand its mystery."

Mentioning that those, who had not supported the Liberation War want to play games with Bangladesh in various ways now, she said, "The players can't be allowed to play."

She went on saying that the people of the country will have to remain united to thwart any bad intention.

Making call to the expatriate Bangladeshis to send remittance through legal channels, Sheikh Hasina also requested them to search foreign partners to invest in Bangladesh, particularly in its ICT sector, food processing industry and small industry.

She also urged the expatriates to abide by the laws of their host countries and discourage the overseas jobseekers to migrate to the foreign countries through illegal channels.