Their other demands included compulsory registration of all political parties, nomination of honest, competent and dedicated people in the general elections by the political parties and empowerment of voters with adequate information about the candidates.

Addressing a human chain at Manik Mia Avenue in the city, Prof Muzaffer Ahmad, president of Shujan and an eminent economist, said good governance means governance by good people.

To achieve the objective, transparency in income and expenditure of the party leaders must be ensured and the political parties must promote democratic values, he added.

"In our democracy, one does not show tolerance to other's views. As a result, we are having a dysfunctional parliament," said Dr Atiur Rahman, another noted economist.

General Secretary of Shujan Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar said people's ownership of land is negated altogether by dishonest politicians and bureaucrats. However, they are now uniting to establish their due rights, he added.

Former advisers to caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan and ASM Shahjahan, Bapa General Secretary Muhidul Huq Khan, columnist Syed Abul Maksud, Dr Shahdin Malik, film star Ilias Kanchan and politicians ASM Abdur Rab and Ruhin Hossain Prince also spoke.