They took this decision yesterday at a joint meeting held at the AL's Dhanmondi office.

The AL allies include components of the left-leaning 11-party alliance, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and National Awami Party (Nap).

The meeting also decided to hold a joint rally of the opposition parties in Rajshahi on January 2 protesting the gruesome killing of Prof Mohammad Yunus of Rajshahi University.

The parties deplored the rise of 'fundamentalist groups' in the country. They condemned what they said was restriction on the free movement of opposition leaders and their right to hold meetings.

The meeting expressed concern at 'repeated attacks' and 'threats' on the life of Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina. It demanded proper security for her and said unless it is done, the government alone will be held responsible for any undesirable consequences.

The parties extended support to garment workers' rally tomorrow at Muktangan in the capital.

Meanwhile, Abdul Jalil yesterday declined to give any hartal call from the combined opposition now and said hartal will be the 'final blow' to oust the present government.

Asked about the January 8 hartal across the country, the AL general secretary said, "We did not call it, front organisations of Awami League will go for the hartal."

He was talking to reporters in front of the National Memorial at Savar during the human wall programme of the opposition.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh Mujahidul Islam Selim told reporters during the programme the opposition parties' simultaneous agitation programme will continue until the fall of this government that has already lost public support.

The parties will go on with agitation programmes unitedly as well as separately, he said.

AL leader Amir Hossain Amu chaired yesterday's joint meeting attended by party General Secretary Abdul Jalil, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed and Obaidul Quader, 11-party alliance leaders Manzurul Ahsan Khan, Rashed Khan Menon, Saifuddin Ahmed Manik, Bimal Biswas and Abdus Samad; JSD leaders Hasanul Huq Inu, Sharif Nurul Ambia, Mainuddin Khan Badal and Shirin Akhtar and NAP leader Azizul Islam.