After an hour long one-to-one parley at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil at a joint news conference said the discussion have progressed and they will sit again on Sunday at 7.30pm after discussing yesterday's outcome with the senior leaders of their respective parties and alliances.

A secretary general level meeting of the ruling four-party alliance will be held today at 12:30pm in Bhuiyan's official residence while AL Central Working Committee will meet today in the party's Dhanmondi office to discuss the outcome of yesterday's meeting between Jalil and Bhuiyan.

Sources said Bhuiyan softened his stance on settling several minor demands which have no constitutional barrier. But Abdul Jalil brought out a combined agenda for dismissing the possibility of appointing Justice KM Hasan as the chief adviser to the next caretaker government and ouster of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz at the beginning of the discussion before talking on other demands, the sources added.

According to the sources, Bhuiyan asked Jalil, "What would be the problem if the government considers one of the two demands?" But, Jalil insisted that the government must settle both the demands first to ensure a free and fair election in the country, the sources added.

Jalil, who represents the AL-led 14-party opposition coalition, tried to make his counterpart understand that someone acceptable to all political parties should be appointed as the chief of the next interim government for having a credible election.

Bhuiyan told Jalil that he had not still sit with Prime Minister Khaleda Zia over the reform issue. He also said he will discuss the matter with Khaleda Zia today and formally let Jalil know about the outcome in tomorrow's meeting, sources added.

Briefing reporters, both Bhuiyan and Jalil said they discussed all the matters regarding electoral reforms in a cordial environment. They claimed that they made progress in their discussion, emerging from the much-expected dialogue held in the standing committee room--1 of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

"We are sincerely trying to reach a consensus," Jalil said adding that the discussion was going on in a friendly atmosphere.

"Our discussion marked progress and we have decided to continue it," Bhuiyan said without elaborating despite repeated requests from the reporters.

Sources close to both the leaders said they agreed to review all the points of the reform proposal which are related to the constitution. Bhuiyan explained his position on the reform proposal to Jalil and asked for time until tomorrow's meeting for further comments.

After a 10-minute photo session, the secretary general level talks resumed at 11:10am and continued until 12:10pm. At the post meeting news briefing both the leaders looked more cheerful than they had been on the first day of the dialogue.

After the briefing, Jalil accompanied by his party leaders rushed to party chief Sheikh Hasina to inform her about the development of the second day's dialogue.

Giving details of the arguments he made with Bhuiyan, Jalil told Hasina that he is optimistic about the dialogue.

Sources said Hasina told Jalil that the development will be elaborately discussed at the ALCWC meeting today. The meeting will also discuss the next course of agitation programmes against the government to press home the demand for electoral reforms.

"If the government does not concede the demand for electoral reforms, the people will march to Dhaka with whatever they have to realise the demand on the day KM Hasan will take charge," Obaidul Quader, a senior AL leader, said adding that they will continue their movement on the street while the talks to break the political deadlock is on.

On the other hand, Bhuiyan yesterday talked to his senior colleagues in the cabinet and informed them about the development of the dialogue. He will also sit with three other secretaries general of the components of the ruling alliance today. Before sitting for the third round of dialogue tomorrow, Bhuiyan will fix his final strategy in consultation with Khaleda Zia.

As the two parties sat for the first time in 11 years, a number of leaders and lawmakers of both BNP and AL, journalists and common people thronged the parliament much before the second round of talks started yesterday. A mood of festivity was visceral in and around the parliament building.

Accompanied by party lawmakers and leaders, AL second-in command Abdul Jalil entered the standing committee room at 10:57am. Shortly afterwards, he was joined by his counterpart Bhuiyan. Deputy Speaker Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui and Opposition Chief Whip Abdus Shaheed received them amid incessant clicks of camera shutters.

When the senior leaders were leaving the parliament building after the discussion, both BNP and AL supporters were chanting party slogans and also brought out processions to support their parties' positions.

Few enthusiastic persons also gathered in front of the parliament building to find out what actually was happening in the dialogue.

A large number of newspaper reporters, photojournalists, and TV reporters were present at the parliament to cover the dialogue and some private TV channels broadcasted the event live from outside the parliament building.

AL leaders Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Suranjit Sengupta, ASHK Sadique, Obaidul Quader, Abdur Rahman, Abdus Shaheed, Col (retd) Farruk Khan, Asaduzzaman Nur, Abdul Hai and Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya accompanied Jalil to Sheikh Hasina while BNP leader also Deputy Speaker of Parliament Akhter Hamid Siddique, Whip Shahidul Haque Jamal, Emran Saleh Prince and Ahmed Musa accompanied Bhuiyan after yesterday's dialogue.

The two leaders, both second in command in their parties, sat at a negotiating table on Thursday for the first time in 11 years to break the impasse over the opposition-proposed reforms to the system of caretaker government, Election Commission, and electoral laws.

Talking to journalists whip Shahidul Haque Jamal said, "We want to resolve all contentious issues through the dialogue, but everything has to be within the bounds of the constitution."

AL presidium member Suranjit Sengupta said, "The government has to be flexible if it is to agree on the reform proposals. I am hopeful that good sense will prevail in the government and the proposed reforms will be brought through the dialogue."