Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday ruled out the possibility of mid-term polls, seeking to know why there is a need for one.

She said this at a press conference at Bangladesh's Permanent Mission to the UN on the outcome of her participation in the ongoing 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

She also demanded to know what situation has arisen that the government should go for interim polls.

Replying to a question, Hasina said there were no relations between the mid-term polls and the upcoming council of Bangladesh Awami League.

She said elections would “always take place” and she thinks that there are no relations between the party council and the elections. "It's our routine work and party council is held every three years."

The premier said the council of the party could not be held during the emergency and martial law regimes. "But other time, we tried to hold party council regularly and we're making that preparation."

Responding to a question about the opposition of BNP and some other parties about the government's stance against militancy and terrorism, Hasina said the opposition party which tends to oppose every step would oppose everything and there is nothing to be worried about it.

"The opposition party in parliament is performing their due role properly, but you [journalists] can't expect anything, especially from those who are not in parliament and don't believe in democracy, who killed and burnt people to death to foil the last general election, burnt the polling centres and killed an assistant presiding officer, torched buses, trains, launches and trucks," she added.

The prime minister alleged that the BNP-Jamaat clique committed all such crimes to thwart the last election but failed to involve the common people in their attempt to foil the polls.

She said the issues of countering terrorism and militancy came up at various programmes of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly, adding that the terrorist acts are now taking place across the globe, and not only in Bangladesh.

In this connection, she said some incidents of bombing and terrorist acts happened in the USA just before the current UN General Assembly.

Hasina said everyone should have to resist those culprits who are killing people in the name of Islam and maligning this holy religion.

"Those who believe in killings always become happy to such killings ... It's better not to talk about them," she added.

About the visit of John Kerry to Bangladesh, the PM said the US secretary of state came here as Bangladesh maintains good relations with the United States.

Besides, she said Kerry had close relations with Senator Ted Kennedy who visited Bangladesh during the Liberation War, visited refugee camps and extended support to Bangladesh.

Hasina said though John Kerry's visit was brief, it was an excellent visit and through the visit, the bilateral relations have been strengthened further.

While talking about her participation in the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly, Hasina said Bangladesh was able to highlight its agendas strongly at this session.

"It's my belief that our active and fruitful participation in various forums has brightened the image of Bangladesh in the international arena," she said.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Masud Bin Momen were present there. PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim moderated the conference.