Appropriate reforms in the EC, appointment of impartial persons as chief election commissioner and election commissioners with the consensus of political parties, and empowering the EC with financial independence and the right to appoint own electioneering staffs would pave the way for holding elections in a neutral manner, they said.

"The best way is to make the Election Commission free and fair by amending electoral laws. The government must reach a consensus with other political parties to bring reforms in the electoral laws," Fair Election Monitoring Alliance (Fema) President Munira Khan told the BDNEWS.

If the EC can hold the election in a free and fair manner, there is no need for a caretaker government, she said, terming the caretaker government system an "undemocratic concept" as the persons (advisors) are not elected.

Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, chairman of Jatiya Nirbachan Parjabekkhon Council, said they felt that the whole election procedure should be changed along with a "comprehensive reform" in the EC and electoral laws.

Talking to BDNEWS, he said the existing system, 'First Past the Post' as described in political science's terminology, has many loopholes, which could be replaced with 'Least Proportionate Representation System (PR)'.

Both the chiefs of the election observer groups suggested holding open discussion in parliament as well as outside the House on the issue of reforms, shunning the path of confrontation.