In a joint statement, the personalities under the banner of Nagorik Somaj wished success to the process and hoped that it would create the culture of tolerance in the country.

Dr Khan Sarwar Murshid, Dr Musharrof Hossain, Dr Anisuzzaman, Dr Mustafa Nurul Islam, Mujibul Haq, Dr Serajul Islam Chowdhury, Laila Rahman Kabir, Kamal Lohani, Dr Rongolal Sen, Dr Ajay Roy, Ibrahim Khalid, Dr Hamida Hossain, Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Rofiqun Nabi, Dr Shawkat Ali, Dr Hayat Mamud, Maj Gen Amin Ahmed Chowdhury (Rtd), Dr Badiul Alam Mojumder, Selina Hossain, Khushi Kabir, Sultana Kamal, Prof Muhammad Jafar Iqbal, Dr Yasmin Haq, Dr Abul Barkat, Zia Uddin, Tareq Ali, Mosiuddin Saker and Tobarek Hossain signed the statement.

They said that reconstruction of the Election Commission (EC) is necessary, as according to the local and foreign observers, the present EC has lost its credibility for conducting a free and fair election. The EC must also work free from any influence of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), they further said.

They also said that the control of the army should be handed over to the caretaker government for the sake of a free and neutral election, adding that the army should be placed under civil authority in every step of election process and should not be given any magistracy power.

With this ongoing dialogue process, the road to form an acceptable caretaker government will be easy, the eminent citizens expressed hope.