The previous caretaker government had made the amendment ahead of the 2001 elections.

Hasina said the amendment paved the way for use of law enforcers for political purposes during the caretaker government's tenure.

"The rules used in 1991 and 1996 elections must be reinstated so that the law enforcers are not used for political purposes," Hasina said.

She alleged that the ruling BNP-Jamaat coalition has already politicised the law enforcement agencies to use them in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Hasina, also the president of the main opposition Awami League (AL), was talking to newsmen after a high-level meeting with the leaders of 14-party opposition combine at AL's Dhanmondi office in the capital,

The meeting discussed the next antigovernment agitation and announced a countrywide hartal on August 30 to protest killing of seven people by the law enforcers at Phulbari coalmine area in Dinajpur.

It also decided to hold a grand rally in the capital on September 18 in a bid to compel the government accept the electoral reforms.

Briefing the newsmen, the AL president also demanded to make public the names of presiding and polling officers of the next general elections at least 15 days ahead of the polls. She said this would prevent the appointment of controversial people to those posts.

Senior leaders including Amir Hossain Amu, Abdul Jalil, Tofail Ahmed, Obaidul Quader, Rashed Khan Menon, Hasanul Haque Inu, Bimal Biswas, Dilip Barua, Nurul Islam, Zakir Hossain, MA Gani, Asit Baran Roy, were present at the briefing.