The AL and its allies who forged the largest ever alliance on December 18 will file their nominations tomorrow.

The change in the AL-led alliance's stance came after a series of negotiations for over one and a half months between the council of advisers to the caretaker government and the two major political alliances.

In the morning, the EC extended the deadline for submission of nominations by two days, setting December 26 as the last date. Earlier, the closing date was yesterday.

The grand alliance, consisted of the AL-led 14-party combine, Jatiya Party (Ershad), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Islami Oikya Jote and Islamic Front, last night decided in favour of participation in the election and accordingly step up discussions between themselves over seat sharing.

At the December 18 grand rally, AL President Sheikh Hasina announced that they would boycott and resist any election according to the current schedule.

Besides, she observed that a lot was yet to be done to create an atmosphere congenial to a free and fair election.

Seeking to rationalise the decision to take part in the election, the senior AL leaders said it's all part of their ongoing movement.

"Our movement has always aimed at having a level playing field ready for the election," said Abdul Jalil, co-ordinator of the 14-party alliance.

He was speaking to reporters after a seat-sharing meeting with the LDP leaders at his Gulshan residence in the noon.

AL Presidium Member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim said, "We have decided to join the polls on the commission's assurance that the time for nomination submission would be expanded and the voter list corrected."

He said the interim authorities have promised them a proper atmosphere and it helped them make up their mind.

"We will submit nomination papers tomorrow," Selim added.

Coming out of a meeting with the AL chief, JP-Ershad Presidium Member Kazi Firoz Rashid said they were going to contest the election as a grand alliance.

However, as of 12:30am no formal announcement to that effect came from the grand alliance.

In another development, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, political secretary to the AL president, last night said,"Filing nominations doesn't necessarily mean we will go to the polls. We have not deviated from our demand for an atmosphere suitable for a fair election."

He was briefing reporters after a meeting between British High Commissioner in Dhaka Anwar Choudhury and AL President Sheikh Hasina.

"We'll keep a beady eye on the electoral process while preparing for the election," he said adding that if they find the conditions are not conducive to a free and open election, they might reconsider the decision.

Meanwhile, differences of opinion still remain within the alliance over the issue as many of the leaders believe that the situation is still far from being ideal for a free and fair election, sources said.

The AL president, who was authorised to take the decision, opted in favour of participation as a section of senior AL leaders backed her up to that end, added the sources.

After a consensus among the political alliances, the EC yesterday morning extended the time limit for submission of nomination.

The EC took the decision in line with the recommendations of the advisory council that went on a flurry of activity to bring the AL-led alliance in the polls within the 90-day timeframe.

In the rearranged polls plan, the date for scrutiny of the nomination papers is December 27, instead of December 26.

The other dates relating to the election however remain unchanged.

Announcing the changes in the timetable, Acting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Mahfuzur Rahman yesterday said the commission hopes that all the parties will now participate in the polls.

"We will have nothing to do if this effort fails to ensure full participation in the election," Mahfuz told reporters at his office.

The EC that announced the election schedule first on November 27 is to conduct the upcoming election with its chief on leave. CEC MA Aziz and Election Commissioner SM Zakaria were forced to take time off work in the face of tremendous pressure from the political parties excepting the four-party alliance.

"Now we are hopeful that all the political parties will participate in the election. We are determined to hold a free and fair election," he said.

The AL led grand alliance has been calling for the election to be delayed by at least a month. They then claimed that the time was needed for correction and publication of the voter list, depoliticisation of the civil and police administration and implementation of the package of proposals drawn up by the advisers.

They have also been clamouring for the president to stand down as the chief adviser.

Then a high-powered delegation of the 14-party combine on Saturday met the EC and asked it to seek opinion from the Supreme Court whether the time limit for holding the election could be extended.

The same day, some leaders of the AL-led alliance met the advisers and came to an understanding that they would go for the polls if the EC extends the time limit for submission of nomination papers.

Replying to a query yesterday, Abdul Jalil said hundred percent of their demands were not implemented yet.

"We'll go to the election under the present context if all the parties within the alliance agree," he added.