Rejecting the government-initiated probes, frontline AL leaders at a press conference at the party's Dhanmondi office also alleged the Khaleda Zia administration was trying to shift the blame onto the AL to cover up its hand in the crime.

"Neutral investigation into the deadly attacks will not be possible keeping this government in power as it is involved in the crime," said AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil. "Only the government's resignation can ensure proper probes into the August 21 carnage and all other crimes under the coalition regime."

He wondered the government did not take any disciplinary action against the state minister for home, home secretary, inspector general of police and chiefs of different intelligence agencies even after such mayhem. "Absolute failures of these persons led to the August 21 attacks," he said.

Referring to previous bomb explosions and huge arms seizures, Jalil alleged the government halted every probe into the crimes finding the involvement of the ruling alliance activists and fundamentalists in them.

He said by involving Interpol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the government-run probe, the government was trying to project it as an international investigation.

Quoting Interpol officers, he said they were only giving technical advice to the government investigators.

The AL leaders alleged despite repeated demand by the opposition, the government denied independent international probe, fearing exposure of its hand in the crime.

The press conference once again demanded international probe into the August 21 crime under the supervision of the United Nations or the Commonwealth. Replying to a question, Jalil said: "We have seen such investigations in Iraq. Why is it not possible here?"

He said the government was often referring to some irrelevant issues to shift people's attention from the assassination attempt on Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina that killed at least 19 people and injured over 200 others.

"We want to make it clear that Sheikh Hasina left the scene by her bullet proof car."

He said Muktangon was not the main venue of the August 21 programme of his party, it was kept as an alternative venue in view of past police action on the party processions and rallies in front of its headquarters.

"We had sent press releases, published advertisements in the newspapers and posted posters a few days before the August 21 programme," he added.

He alleged despite repeated attacks on Hasina and threats to kill her, the government, even the prime minister, showed utter indifferent to her security.

"The prime minister even made a derisive comment in parliament after a death threat to the leader of the opposition on July 5 this year," he said.

On destruction of evidence, Jalil said at least five grenades, retrieved from the scene and the adjacent areas in the wake of the attacks were exploded without taking fingerprints and police did not cordon off the spot after the attacks to preserve the evidence.

Police even took away the truck from the scene, he added.

At the press conference, Jalil quoted a recent speech of State Minister for Manpower Amanullah Aman at a BNP rally.

"Aman told the rally that the government would finalise the probe report soon accusing Awami League leaders Abdus Samad Azad, Abdul Hamid, Tofael Ahmed, Mohammad Nasim, Motia Chowdhury and Saber Hossain Chowdhury," he claimed.

The AL also raised questions about Khaleda's sympathy for Hasina after the grenade attacks.

"The prime minister's letter to the leader of the opposition did not mention the grenade attacks and it was sent to newspaper offices before it reached Sudha Sadan, Hasina's residence," Jalil said.

AL leaders Tofael Ahmed, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mahiuddin Khan Alamgir, Saber, Abdul Mannan and Asaduzzaman Noor were also present at the press conference.