B'desh parties form alliance to oust election chief

BANGLADESH: Bangladesh's main opposition announced it would form a grand alliance with other major political parties to force the ouster of a controversial election chief and pave the way for "fair" elections.

The announcement came as the caretaker government tasked with organising the parliamentary elections slated for January said it had reached a decision which it believed would resolve the row.

"The president (head of the interim government) will address the nation tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or the day after. He is going to announce the total package that has been done," cabinet member Mahbubul Alam told reporters after a meeting late Saturday. He did not elaborate.

Meanwhile Bangladesh's opposition has pledged to continue with a nationwide transport blockade if a key election official accused of seeking to rig January elections is not replaced by Sunday evening, party officials said.

The main opposition Awami League said it had no plans to call off the planned protests despite an announcement late Saturday from the interim government that it had reached a decision it believed would resolve the issue.

"Our programme is still on but we will hear what the president says in his address to the nation," said opposition spokesman Abdul Jalil.

"We have given the caretaker government enough time to implement our just demands. But unfortunately it wasted all the opportunities to avert an indefinite transport blockade," Jalil said earlier.

Dhaka, Sunday, AFP