Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told the parliament that the Awami League doesn't sell the country rather Khaleda Zia, Ershad and Ziaur Rahman did it.

"Who had sold the country? It had done by Khaleda Zia, Ershad and Ziaur Rahman. They had sold the country. The Awami League doesn't sell the country," she said. In this regard, she referred to several incidents during the period of the trio that included giving a bond for selling Bangladesh's gas to India by Khaleda Zia prior to 2001 general elections.

She made the remarks while giving valedictory speech in the third and budget session of the 12th parliament with Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair. Hasina came down heavily on some opposition parties who have been making blanket allegations of selling the country to India over signing of some MoUs during her recent India visit.

She told the parliament that they did not come to power in 2001. "Why didn't we come to power? We didn't come to power as we didn't agree with the American company which was extracting our gas (at that time), wanted to sell that to India," she said.

Hasina continued: "I was deadly against the selling of gas while Khaleda Zia gave her consent to sell the gas." As a result, Awami League had failed to form the government in 2001 despite getting majority of the votes, she said. Highlighting the benefit of the transit facilities with neighbouring India, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh can't shut its door in the age of globalization.

"Today's world is a global village. One is dependent to other in terms of trade and commerce and communication. So, it is not possible to shut our door," she said. The premier said to tap potential of the benefit as a member of the Global village Bangladesh has to link with the Trans Asian Highway and Trans Asian Railway. There are now many discussions over the transit facilities with India, she said.

"We already have the transit facilities as buses are coming Dhaka from Tripura, going from Dhaka to Kolkata. What lost has occurred due to it. Rather, we are getting the fare of the road. People of the country are getting its benefit and many of them are earning huge money," she said. The entire world, the Premier said, has now come under a communication network.

"We have built transit facilities with Nepal and Bhutan through India. It is not a transit facility with country rather it's a regional transit facility and it has made for building better communication system," she said. Hasina said they are working to develop a communication system connecting the four countries -- Nepal, Bhutan, India and Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is going to purchase hydro electricity from Nepal (through the transmission line of Indian), she said. Hasina said they are now opening the already closed rail lines with India after the war of India and Pakistan in 1965 for mutual benefits of the neighbouring countries.

A road, she said, is going to Thailand from Bhutan via Myanmar bypassing Bangladesh. India wanted that the road will be going to Thailand from Bhutan through Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, she added. The Premier said but Khaleda Zia had declined the proposal for which Bangladesh will fail to tap its potential for increasing its trade, commerce and connectivity.

After coming to power for the first time in 1996, she said she had tried to connect Bangladesh with the initiative, but failed. the premier said Bangladesh is bringing oil from Rumaligar in Assam of India to its Parbotipur Depot through pipeline which will extend to Natore.