"We have come up with an alternative with the launch of the Bikalpa Dhara as corruption has emerged as an epidemic when most government decisions are taken for either personal, family or party benefits," Chowdhury told reporters at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

There remains no future for a country if a ruling party becomes corrupt and economic corruption gets an institutional shape, he told the press conference from where the BDB was launched.

Soon after the announcement of the party's name, his son and former lawmaker Mahi B Chowdhury proposed Chowdhury as the founding president and retired army major Abdul Mannan as secretary general of the BDB. Retired brigadier general Gias Uddin seconded the proposal.

Mannan earlier filed a writ petition against the government for obstructing them from holding meetings and refusing any meeting venue to his former forum Bikolpo Dhara.

Coming to the DRU office straight from the High Court after submission of the writ petition, Chowdhury launched his new party at the impromptu press conference.

He said the BDB would participate in the by-elections for Dhaka-10 and Munshiganj-1 constituencies, the seats vacated by Mannan and Mahi, who resigned from both the Jatiya Sangsad and the ruling BNP to join Bikolpo Dhara.

Explaining the aims of his party, Chowdhury said faith in independence and sovereignty and democracy at all levels formed the central plank of his party.

He said his party was committed to fighting terrorism, corruption and poverty, the major problems facing Bangladesh.

About the quick launch of the party, Chowdhury said he declared on March 11 that he would float the party in two months from a public meeting.

But failing to get permission for the Paltan Maidan, Engineer's Institution and Muktangon and Mohanagar Natyamanch, he said he decided to launch the party simultaneously with the filing of the writ petition.

Chowdhury regretted that even the National Press Club authorities did not give them any room for holding the press conference yesterday.

Upon the writ petition, the High Court asked the government to explain in two weeks why the alleged denial of permission to Bikalpa Dhara to hold a meeting at Paltan Maidan or at Mohanagar Natyamanch should not be declared illegal. It also asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to dispose of, preferably in a week, the organisation's fresh application for holding a meeting at Paltan Maidan on May 25.

Illustrating his party's structure, the former president said it would have a national council comprising 1,500 to 2,000 members, a national committee of 300 members and a steering committee of 15 members.

There would be some special committees, including several consultative committees on different issues manned by specialists from different professional groups and members of civil society, an advisory committee and a parliamentary board.

In the lower rungs of the set-up, there would be town committees, district committees and electoral constituency-based committees.

On a question on the Liberation War, he said there would be no room for those who do not believe in the spirit of the war in his party.

He termed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the main architect of Bangladesh's independence, but said the roles of the late president Ziaur Rahman and others should not be undermined.

The renowned physician-turned-politician said Bangladesh was divided in the names of two or three leaders and he would try to bridge the divide.

Referring to Friday's killing of Awami League lawmaker Ahsanullah Master in a Tongi rally, Chowdhury held the government responsible for failing to even protect the life of a people's representative.

The BDB president called a public meeting of the new party at Paltan Maidan for May 25 when the full committee would be announced.