"Only the patriots can now save the country from the grip of incompetent leaders," he said at a public meeting at Shaheb Bazar here yesterday.

Dr Kamal and former president Badruddoza Chowdhury have jointly initiated a process of greater unity of people to give politics a new dimension.

The GF chief said people fit to be in power in a democratic order are now neglected as incompetent ones manage to get elected to parliament.

The parliament has turned ineffective under these unfit leaders, who are plundering the country's resources instead of using those for its development, Kamal said.

Despite having two-thirds majority in parliament, the ruling alliance has failed to run the country properly, Kamal said. Even many of the ruling alliance members do not attend House sessions, he noted.

Chaired by Rafiqul Islam, the meeting was also addressed by Saifuddin Ahmed Manik, Pankaj Bhattachariya, Fazlur Rahman, Shamsul Alam and Ganesh Prashad.