Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the January 5, 2014 general election was not a voter-less polls, like those held during the BNP and Ershad regimes.

"Many quarters claimed that the January 5, 2014 election was a voter-less election. But, in fact, by no means it was a voter-less one as 40 percent voters exercised their franchise in that election amidst orchestrated violence by the BNP," she said.

"Our present government remains in power for the last four years as people voted it to power, which Ershad and BNP could not do in 1990 and 1996," she said.

The prime minister said this in her introductory speech in the Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC) meeting at the Gono Bhaban yesterday evening, BSS reports.

Hasina said Khaleda Zia was forced to resign within one and a half months as they rigged votes of the people on February 15, 1996.

"On the other hand, Awami League was elected by the people and the utmost goal of the Awami League was to safeguard the country's democracy as Khaleda Zia wanted to thwart it," she said.

Blaming the BNP for destroying democratic rights of the people, the prime minister said Ziaur Rahman grabbed the power at gunpoint from Justice Sayem, like General Ayub Khan did. Justice Sayem mentioned this in his book titled "Last Phase at Bangabhaban".

"The BNP now claims itself as a democratic party, but in which democratic process was it born and had assumed power?" she questioned.

At the ALCWC meeting, Hasina warned party ticket aspirants of the next parliamentary polls not to speak against the existing lawmakers, reports our staff correspondent.

Speak against existing MPs is tantamount to opposing government, she said.

She said she had information that many aspirants were taking stances against party lawmakers and they were using abusive language, said sources.

Hasina also asked party leaders to frequently visit their constituencies to maintain close ties with party activists and the people. 

She also directed party leaders to speak against the BNP's “falsehood” and keep the party's senior leaders updated and help them if anyone faces financial issues.

The meeting also decided to start a countrywide tour programme to identify disputes within party leaders and solve them.

Hasina would visit divisional headquarters.