Dhaka: Coming down hard on those who bemoan the ‘lack of democracy’ in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said Bangladesh has been witnessing massive development as there is continuation of democratic process.

"There’s been development because there’s democracy in the country. Since, we're running the country in a democratic process, the country has been witnessing development,” she said, posing a question why the country could not attain such level of development in 21 years (when AL was not in power) that it saw over the last eight years.

The Leader of the House said this taking part in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on the President's speech in Parliament in the evening.

She also asked the critics to answer this question before going for criticisms.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has been able to carry out such massive development since it works for the welfare of the country and its people, and for changing the fate of the common people.

"We believe in democracy and involve all people in each of our activity," she said, adding that her party could not assume office in 2001 as it did not give undertaking for selling gas to a neighbouring country. "But, the BNP-Jamaat clique had done that."

The Prime Minister questioned the intention of those who are not satisfied even with such massive development, saying: "What did they want?... country’s people to remain poor? But, their purposes saw no success as people are now getting jobs, their fates are being changed and they're living a better life and that is why they (critics) couldn't like it."

She said when Bangladesh is being recognised worldwide as a 'role model of development', there are some quarters who are advocating that only development will not work, it has to be accompanied by democracy. "I don't want to name those. But when there was emergency, Marshall Law or military regime, they considered such environment very democratic and started to lick the feet of those...."

Hasina also questioned how they can criticise the government if there is no freedom of speech and a democratic environment in the country. "What do they want -- development or democracy?"