On the third day of bilateral dialogues between a four-member delegation of the council of advisers to the CG and different political parties yesterday, Juktofront and Jatiya Party informed the committee about their stances on the matter during separate meetings held in the state guesthouse Padma.

The ledaers of Juktofront, a political platform comprising Unity for Political Reform (UPR), Krisokh Sramik Janata League (KSJL), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Labour Party, in a meeting with the delegation of the council of advisers, said removal of the present CEC is not a demand of any individual political party rather it is a demand of the entire nation.

"Removal of the CEC has now become a constitutional obligation," commented Juktofront leader ASM Abdur Rob who is also the chief of UPR.

The advisers assured the Juktofront delegation of taking actions regarding removal of the CEC in accordance with the constitution, leaders of the platform said.

"Reconstitution of the Election Commission and removal of the CEC are the demands of the time," commented Kader Siddiqi, president of KSJL also a leader of Juktofront, at a news briefing after the meeting.

"If they (the CEC and other commissioners) have wisdom and common sense, they should have resigned long time ago," he said.

"Retailers refused to sell goods to the CEC," the KSJL president said adding, "Under the circumstances, if the CEC doesn't resign now and creates further sufferings for the people, then it will mean that he is not a sane person rather a sick person."

It is now very much clear that under the present CEC, a free and fair election is quite impossible, Kader Siddiqi said about what he had told the advisers.

"The CEC should be boycotted socially and his house should be surrounded so he cannot go to the office even for a single day," Kader Siddiqi told the newsmen.

"I will request his domestic help and his chauffeur not to report to duty for serving him," he added.

The Juktofront leaders also demanded punishment for the present home secretary for taking initiatives to deploy the armed forces keeping the advisory council in the dark.

Kader Siddiqi said he had suggested the delegation of advisers that if the home secretary had taken the initiative unilaterally, he must be sacked and if the president-cum-chief adviser had taken the initiative, he should resign.

Earlier, the four advisers had a meeting with a JP delegation at the same venue.

A six-member team of JP leaders led by Anwar Hossain Manju told the advisers to find a solution to the present political crisis in such a way so that no party can claim sole victory.

"We urged the advisers to ensure a level playing field for all political parties and to ensure a free and fair election," Anwar Hossain Manju told reporters after the meeting.

The JP delegation also suggested the advisers to take initiatives for facilitating a dialogue between BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.

About the demand for removal of the CEC, JP Secretary General Sheikh Sohidul Islam said, "It would be better if the CEC resigned."

JP Chairman Anwar Hossain Manju however avoided clarifying their position about the demand despite repeated queries from the journalists.

He rather said, "It is not assured that the upcoming election would be free and fair if the present CEC resigned."