Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday came down heavily on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for "terming" voters, election officials and others who were present at polling stations during the January 5 national election "dogs".

"I saw some statements in the newspapers ... She [Khaleda] said no voter was there at the polling centres ... There were only police and dogs," the PM said in her introductory speech at a meeting of Awami League Central Working Committee at the Gono Bhaban.

She said Khaleda must apologise to the nation for the arson attacks that killed around 100 people during the countrywide blockade and hartals enforced by the BNP-Jamaat alliance early last year.

There were election officials, media personnel and others at the polling stations, and people had been there to cast their votes, Hasina argued.

"She [Khaleda] saw human beings as dogs. Everyone is a dog in her eyes. Only a rabies patient sees others as dogs ... She has no right to say this."

Hasina, also the chief of the ruling Awami League, said, "What kind of behaviour is this? Forty percent people of the country, who went to cast their votes, are dogs! What an audacity! She called human beings dogs."

Such bad words only fit Khaleda as she killed "hundreds of people" through arson attacks in early 2015. "She [Khaleda] has to apologise to the nation for burning people and calling the country's people dogs."

The AL president said the reason behind such behaviour of Khaleda Zia is to save war criminals. "The people of the country won't accept it ... I call upon her to seek apology [for this]."

Khaleda should be tried for burning people, she said. "This has to be done only to ensure that no one in future dares to commit such activities and play with the fate of people."

The PM said Khaleda cannot accept the massive development of the country and that is why she called people dogs. "It's sad that a political leader could utter such bad words."