Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday said the way Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina projected Bangladesh's development, it has demonstrated that all the development activities have been carried out over the eight years of her government's two terms.

"It's not right as the rich have become richer while the poor poorer. Institutional fragility has got intensified due to plutocratic rule," said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

BNP hoped that the prime minister will show the nation a new ray of hope by determining the direction of politics and the next election through discussions with opposition parties.

"We still hope the Prime Minister will follow the open path of democracy by discarding the dangerous path of restoring one-party rule after annihilating democracy...or else, she'll have to be accountable to people," added Fakhrul.

The BNP leader voiced the expectation while giving his party's formal reaction to the Prime Minister's address to the nation at a press conference at BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.

On Thursday evening, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the nation marking the 3rd anniversary of her present government's tenure after winning the January-5 polls in 2014.

Fakhrul alleged that the prime minister has tried to confuse people by providing some false information about her government's development activities in her speech. "Her claim regarding development is nothing but empty rhetoric."

The BNP leader said financial institutions are on the verge of destruction due to political interference while the income inequality is growing sharply as ruling party men are only getting the benefits of development.

Stating that economic development is a continuous process, he said all the successive governments, including democratic, undemocratic, illegal and legal ones, had carried out development activities more or less.

Fakhrul alleged that the government is misleading the country's people in the name of development by snatching people's democratic rights. "Unbridled corruption is going on in the name of development."

Mentioning that Sheikh Hasian hoped that all parties will keep confidence in new Election Commission (EC) to be formed by February and join the next national election, he said adding, "We want to take part in the election, as we believe that a public representative government can only be established through it."

To ensure the all party's participation in polls, the BNP leader said the next election must be conducted by impartial, brave and competent election commissioners under a neutral administration which will be formed to assist the Election Commission. "A level-playing field must be ensured by stopping the ongoing process of eliminating opposition parties."

Besides, he said, all the political leaders will have to be released from jail withdrawing the 'false' cases filed against them while equal opportunity for all parties for holding rallies, meeting and other political programmes must be ensured. "The press freedom will have to be ensured creating a real democratic atmosphere."