"Specific format of the committee, its time frame, eligibilities for committee members and their number were not pointed out in your proposal. Although the prime minister clearly said the committee could be formed comprising both the members of the parliament and people from outside the parliament, it was not mentioned in your letter," AL's letter to BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan read.

Terming Bhuiyan's letter a positive step towards carrying out electoral reforms, the letter stated that it is very important that the details are specific and clear for the sake of a meaningful discussion. "We can finalise the list of our representatives as soon as these details are specified," the letter said.

AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil after getting instruction from Leader of the Opposition in Parliament also AL President Sheikh Hasina, sent the reply at about 7:00pm yesterday to Mannan Bhuiyan, also the minister for local government and co-operative. Hasina is currently in the US for treatment.

Jalil also talked to Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain and other senior leaders of the AL-led 14-party opposition coalition before sending the letter to Bhuiyan.

Earlier Jalil made a phone call to Bhuiyan at about 6:20pm and told him that AL had sent a letter to his residence. AL's Deputy Publicity Secretary Asim Kumar Ukil, Assistant Office Secretary BM Mozammel Hossain and SM Kamal carried the letter and handed it over to Bhuiyan.

After receiving the letter, Bhuiyan told journalists that he received the letter and will respond today. "If I see that I myself can respond to the letter then I will do so otherwise if necessary, I will talk to our party chairperson, who is returning home tonight."

In response to Jalil's query regarding the number of members in the proposed committee, sources in BNP said the maximum number could be nine. They however favoured a small committee.

Opposition sources said after talking to Hasina, the AL general secretary also the 14-party coordinator, and senior opposition leaders met at a hotel in the capital to finalise a response to BNP secretary general's letter.

Thanking Bhuiyan for the proposal regarding formation of a committee to discuss the oppositions' proposed reforms in the system of caretaker government and the Election Commission, Jalil in his letter said the proposal will help realising the people's demand for a free, fair and neutral election though it came too late.

"Although the prime minister termed the oppositions' demands baseless and illogical for long the proposal to discuss the issue proved our demands to be justified. We hope the discussion and decision that will help strengthen the country's democracy will take place at the earliest," Jalil mentioned in the letter.

Free and fair election is an achievement of the peoples' movement and we are committed to protect that achievement and give them back the right to universal franchise, Jalil pointed out. "Unfortunately those democratic rights of the people have cruelly been repressed," he wrote.

He also reminded the BNP secretary general of the necessity to maintain a congenial environment to accommodate peoples' freedom of expression and opinions for the sake of a fruitful discussion.

On Monday, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan sent a letter to Abdul Jalil seeking names of AL representatives for the committee to discuss the opposition's proposal for electoral reforms. Hasina placed the proposal in the House on February 12.

Briefing journalists after a 14-party meeting chaired by Dilip Barua yesterday, Jalil said when the government is too intransigent to concede the victory of the opposition backed panel in the election of WASA's employees' welfare association, then it is clearly understandable that it will be very tough to realise the opposition's reform proposals.

Pro-BNP employees of Wasa attacked the supporters of an AL-backed panel after hearing that the pro-AL panel was going to sweep the election in the employees' welfare association on Wednesday night at Karwan Bazar in the capital. The ensuing clash between the two rival groups left ten persons injured.

The 14-party meeting condemned the ruling party backed employees' attack on the pro-opposition employees of Wasa and said the government proved their cruelty by attacking the opposition.

"We are not demonstrating to oust anyone or to help anyone go to power. We are demonstrating only to establish a peoples' government in the country," Jalil said adding, "Through our response, the people's fight for their rights will go forward a step."

Senior leaders of the 14-party coalition including Rashed Khan Menon, Suranjit Sengupta, Motia Chowdhury, Saifuddin Ahmed Manik, Syed Zafor Sazzad, Obaidul Quader, Bimal Biswas, Nurul Islam, Mainuddin Khan Badal, Prof Shamsul Huda Harun, Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya and MA Gani attended the meeting.