The Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina has asked the people to be watchful against any 'backdoor' attempts to derail democracy again in Bangladesh, which has experienced military rules and unconstitutional governments in the past, report agencies.

Addressing the first ever orientation workshop for the newly elected MPs, the prime minister said the December 29 elections could take place because of "people's courage."

The inaugural function of the three-day orientation programme for the newly elected lawmakers of the ninth parliament took place at Hotel Sonargaon Sunday morning.

Speaker of the Indian Lok Sabha and the former President of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Somnath Chatterjee spoke on the occasion as the special international guest while welcome address was given by Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Advocate Abdul Hamid.

Cabinet members, members of parliament and diplomats were present on the occasion.

The plenary sessions of the three-day orientation programme, jointly organised by Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) with the assistance of USAID, will begin at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre at city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar today (Monday).

The prime minister, who was jailed during the immediate-past military-installed caretaker government on corruption charges, said Bangladesh's democratic foundations had not been properly secured owing to disruptions by military regimes.

"The people should be watchful so that nobody can choke democracy from behind," Sheikh Hasina told MPs.

"The country's welfare cannot be ensured without democracy. We have to take the democratic stream forward for the sake of the country and its people," said the prime minister.

"Unlike India, we could not enjoy uninterrupted democratic rule. Owing to the interruptions, parliamentary practices were disrupted," said Hasina.

"We could not hold regular elections because of military regimes, states of emergency, and so on," said Hasina, whose father, independence architect Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, mother and family members were killed in a military coup on August 15, 1975.