"Following the initiatives of the caretaker government, it seems to us that a level playing field is going to be created for the next general elections. The Awami League is an election-oriented party and is ready to take part in the next elections," an AL Presidium member told The Daily Star last night.

If everything goes normal and the caretaker government initiatives go on in creating a level playing field for holding fair polls, the AL-led alliance has plans to form a grand electoral alliance with different other parties soon and make combined preparations for the polls.

AL President Sheikh Hasina in a positive development last night instructed her party leaders to make all-out preparations for the next election alongside the ongoing movements for a free and fair election.

Earlier on Tuesday night, at the meetings of the AL Central Working Committee and 14-party alliance with Hasina in the chair some party members expressed their feeling that they should not take part in the next election within 90 days as per the constitutional provision on grounds of preparing of a fresh voter roll.

Hasina even hinted that the election date could be deferred for another one to two months.

The AL chief at a meeting of her party's front organisations at her Dhanmondi office yesterday also directed the party leaders to keep watch on the voter list correction process so that the names of all activists and supporters of the party are included in the list.

She also instructed all the leaders and activists to remain alert so that extra or fake names cannot be registered in the voter roll.

The instruction came following a triangle meeting between the advisers to the caretaker government, Election Commission (EC) secretary and the 14-party leaders over implementing several demands of the alliance.

The meeting endorsed the voter list correction process, with enumerators starting door-to-door visit from tomorrow to update the list again.

Although the 14-party alliance had stuck over its stance on removal of the acting chief election commissioner, the alliance leaders moved back from their position at the advisers' request at yesterday's meeting.

Meanwhile, in a latest development the caretaker government brought some changes in the top level of the civil administration and took steps to send two "controversial" election commissioners on leave and appoint a new commissioner. The EC also decided to reschedule the polls date today.

Terming the caretaker government's move "fair", AL Joint General Secretary Obaidul Quader told The Daily Star last night that they are ready to take part the next election. "We welcome the move and hope that the caretaker government will take measurers to make the field level administration neutral for creating a level playing field," he said.

He said the party chief has so far finalised nominations for 150 constituencies. "We are ready to share around 80 to 100 seats with our allies in the 14-party and other like-minded parties," Quader said.

He said they would reach a consensus over sharing seats with the Jatiya Party-Ershad, Liberal Democratic Party, and different other small parties within several days.

A parliamentary board of the party to give nominations will also be formed within a few days, Quader said. "But everything will be finalised after rescheduling of the polls date and updating of the voter list," he added.

AL General Secretary and 14-party Coordinator Abdul Jalil, however, told a press briefing at the AL Dhanmondi office last night that the alliance's sit-in demonstration around the EC Secretariat will continue until the government formally fulfil their package proposals.

Earlier in the day, the advisers to the caretaker government and 14-party leaders at a meeting at the state guesthouse Padma reached a consensus that changes will be brought to the announced polls schedule, two controversial election commissioners will go on leave, and changes will be brought in both the police and civil administration, meeting sources said.

The advisers informed the 14-party leaders of their decisions on the voter list correction process, rescheduling of the polls date and bringing necessary changes in other sensitive positions in the administration related to the election.

The advisers, however, set the condition that the 14-party will have to participate in the next elections within the constitutional provisions--within the 90-day tenure of the caretaker government.

After the meeting, the 14-party leaders rushed to inform Hasina of the decisions.

Highly placed sources in the AL said the party chief took the advisers' decisions positively and asked all to make preparations for the next elections. But the party high command is still waiting for the formal implementation of the decisions taken by the caretaker government last night.

On behalf of the 14-party alliance, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Kazi Zafarullah, Rashed Khan Menon, Haider Akbar Khan Rono and HT Imam attended the meeting with the advisers.

Advisers Dr Akbar Ali Khan, CM Shafi Sami, Justice Fazlul Haque and Mahbubul Alam were present at the meeting that lasted more than two hours. After the meeting, the advisers rushed to Bangabhaban to hold a meeting with President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed.

After the meeting Information Adviser Mahbubul Alam expressed hope that the negotiations with the political parties will come to a positive conclusion today and all parties will take part in the next elections.