The alliance in a press release called for holding the ninth parliamentary elections as soon as possible and hand over power to the elected people's representatives.

Top leaders of the alliance at a meeting at Hawa Bhaban with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the chair urged the authorities concerned to make sure that no citizen of the country is harassed unnecessarily.

No leader of the alliance briefed journalists after the meeting that began at 8:10pm, but a press release signed by BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan was circulated among the reporters around 9:30pm while the meeting was still continuing.

The assistant office secretary of the BNP distributed the press release and told reporters that no press briefing will be held after the meeting.

An alliance leader told The Daily Star, "At the meeting we discussed the arrest of many activists of the four-party alliance in the last few days across the country. We also talked about election."

Terming the state of emergency a "temporary measure", the four-party alliance in the press release condemned its political opponents for their violent activities that "destroyed the country's economy and public life and properties".

"The president imposed the state of emergency because of the destructive and subversive activities by a few political parties," the press release said.

Mannan Bhuiyan, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mujahid, Jatiya Party (Naziur) Chairman Naziur Rahman Manjur, Islami Oikya Jote Chairman Fazlul Haque Aminee, and Khelafat Majlish leader Muhammad Ishaq attended the meeting, among others.

Meanwhile, at a meeting of the members of BNP's foreign cell at the party's Banani election office discussed strategies to strengthen relations with foreign diplomats.

Sources said former state minister Riaz Rahman, Mir Nasir and former chairman of the Privatisation Board Enam Ahmed Chowdhury attended the meeting.