Bangladesh's main opposition Awami League (AL) and its 14-party alliance will stage a long-march towards capital on Jan. 22 to force the government to reform the existing caretaker government system and election process.

The AL and its alliance think that the march is needed for a clean general election in January 2007.

The Bangladesh non-partisan caretaker government has supervised the general elections of the country since 1996, but the AL and its alliance want reforms of the caretaker government as they claimed the general election held under the caretaker government in 2001, in which they lost to the four-party alliance led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, was not free and fair.

They also alleged the Election Commission was also sided with the BNP-led alliance.

Abdul Mannan, AL's organizing secretary said Monday that they will sit with its alliance partners, mostly left-leaning parties, to finalize the program of the Dhaka march.

Mannan said the AL has held grand rallies in southwestern Khulna and western Rajshahi earlier this month to mobilize public support in favour of the Dhaka march and will make "mass contacts " to mobilize public participation to make the march a success.

He said new action program will be announced at the Dhaka march and the nature of the action program will be finalized through discussion with alliance partners.

The opposition's demand for reform of the caretaker government system, however, was rejected by the ruling party. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia pointed out that the opposition doesn't want to accept elections under the Constitution.

Addressing a grand rally organized by ruling BNP last Wednesday, Khaleda Zia said that if the opposition has confidence in the people, "join election and get the electoral mandate."

Khaleda Zia made it clear that future elections will be held under the existing constitutional provisions.

She said that the Bangladeshi government, which was formed by the parties with two-thirds majority, cannot be removed through any provocation or misleading remarks.

Source: Xinhua