The meeting titled "Criminalisation and communalisation of politics and its corruption and the spirit of Ekushey" was organised by 11-Party at the Workers Party office in the capital yesterday.

"Those who consider politics to be capital for making wealth are responsible for polluting politics," said Abdul Jalil, general secretary of Awami League (AL) and co-ordinator of 14-party alliance.

Those who entered politics for other reasons, apart from serving the nation, have become corrupt politicians and they have been arrested, he added.

Jalil, however, hailed the law enforces' current drive to arrest corrupt politicians saying, "We were not successful in doing that for many reasons."

Welcoming the army's offer to prepare the voter ID cards, AL leader Amir Hossain Amu said this initiative, if taken, would bring hope to many people.

Welcoming Prof Muhammad Yunus for declaring the likely name for his party, Amu said by declaring the name of his party and by getting involved with politics, Prof Yunus has discarded his earlier comment about politicians.

"Politicians should control politics," said Hasanul Haq Inu, president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) adding, "Neither the army nor any 'self-declared guardian' would be able to rescue the country from the present 'disaster'."

The present caretaker government is trying to put "derailed democracy back on tracks", Inu observed adding that if the caretaker government wished to sit on the driving seat of the country, it would be a disaster for politics.

"If the normal flourishing of politics and democracy is hindered, there will be disaster for us," Rashed Khan Menon, president of Workers Party, said.

Nurul Islam, president of Ganatantri Party, Abdus Samad, president of Gana Azadi League, Dilip Barua of Samyabadi Dal also spoke.