Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is leading the grand alliance Friday announced blockade program for Jan. 7-8 to force the caretaker government to make an environment for a clean and credible election.

Hasina told newsmen at a crowded press conference held here that her alliance was forced to announce the agitation program because President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed failed to show his neutrality despite the coalition had given him much time.

Hasina, also chief of former main opposition Awami League (AL) demanded resignation of Iajuddin Ahmed from the post of chief advisor to make way for a free and fair election.
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Replying to a question about her alliance join the election, Hasina said, "It will depend on the situation." But she did not rule out her alliance will join the election.

AL made a grand alliance with Jatiya Party led by former president Ershad and Liberal Democratic Party led by former president Professor Badrudozza Chowdhury on Dec. 18 in a big rally.

President Iajuddin Ahmed named himself chief of the caretaker government on Oct. 29, two days after former ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia ended its five-year tenure, as both BNP and AL failed to find a compromise candidate for the post.

Iajuddin, 76, a retired university teacher, was made Bangladesh's president while BNP was in power.

Hasina in the press conference also demanded for resetting the election schedule for correcting the voter list, which she alleged, had huge fake voters on it.

The AL chief said it is mandatory to hang the final voter list before announcing the election schedule, but the Election Commission (EC) violated that. She demanded to correct the voter list and hang the list in district and sub-district-level office of EC.

Bangladeshi constitution since 1996 has stipulated a non-party caretaker government organizes the general elections.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2006)