"The activities of the present election commission have already created an impression that a free and fair elections could not be possible under it," they said.

They were speaking at the concluding meeting of a three-day programme organised by the Sammilito Nagorik Andolon (Combined Citizens Movement, CCM) at Col. Taher Auditorium in the city.

Workers and leaders of the component organisations of the CCM of 30 thanas of Dhaka Metropolis attended the meeting.

The concluding day's meeting was presided over by CCM leader and journalist-columnist Shahriar Kabir. Among others, CCM leaders Principal Abdul Ahad Chowdhury, Dr Qazi Faruque Ahmed, ASM Shamsul Arefin, Shirin Akhter, Golam Quddus, Qazi Mukul, Abdus Samad Pintu, Fakir Sheikh Ziauddin Ahmed, Kamal Pashya Chowdhury and Humayun Kabir addressed the meeting.

The speakers said due to misrules and misdeeds of the alliance government, democracy and good governance had totally been shattered in the country. Under such a situation, the nation has no option but to elect a credible government through fair and neutral elections.

The speakers reiterated their call for resignation of the present election commissioners including the chief election commissioner before August 31, the dateline fixed earlier by the CCM.

They called upon people of all sections of the society including freedom fighters, professionals, workers and all democratic and progressive forces to be united against the BNP-Jamaat led government that had already undermined the ideals and spirit of the great War of Liberation.

The CCM decided to hold its grand divisional conventions at Chittagong on August 27, Rajshahi on August 30 and Dhaka on September 10.