Demanding unconditional release of the former prime minister, they also called on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to force the government to follow the rule of law and international norms.

Before submitting the memorandum, some 50 AL leaders and workers staged demonstrations in front of the UN headquarters in New York yesterday.

"We demand that the Bangladesh government release Sheikh Hasina unconditionally and prosecute those who are engaged in media trial and manipulation of cases," the memorandum read.

The AL leaders observed that such arrest and imprisonment are designed to perpetuate the military rule and also to destroy and weaken the political parties and multi-party democracy in Bangladesh like it was the case in Myanmar.

"We are afraid the government will lose its credibility and public support fast which will lead to further uncertainty, chaos, political vacuum, totalitarianism and more alarmingly, help the rise of extremism and terrorism," said the memorandum.

Since assuming power in January, the government has been trying to marginalise the major political parties like AL and BNP, especially Sheikh Hasina and her party.

The AL US unit alleged that the intelligence agencies including the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and National Security Intelligence (NSI) have been conspiring to eliminate her from politics by having false cases filed against her through manipulation and intimidation.

The government is now trying to convict her on concocted extortion charges so that she cannot contest any future elections, the memorandum stated.

It added that the military trying to impose controlled democracy in the country has had Hasina arrested in a false case as they knew they could never buy Hasina.

Lauding the caretaker government's anti-corruption drive, they said all graft cases should be tried in a transparent and judicious manner under international or UN supervision.

They urged the interim government to hold elections by January 11, 2008 and hand over power to an elected government as they promised. Otherwise, they think, the United States should withdraw its support.

If the Bangladesh government delays the stalled general election, the UN should stop having Bangladesh armed forces in the UN peacekeeping missions abroad, it continued.

The AL leaders also alleged that the government is responsible for at least 96 extra-judicial killings in its first 100 days. It routinely practises "inhuman torture techniques" to get confessions out of the detainees.

Meanwhile, the Austria unit AL submitted a memorandum to Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed through the Bangladesh High Commission in Berlin, Germany. They said if the government does not free Hasina immediately they would stop sending remittances.

Observing that the caretaker government has failed miserably to control the overall situation at home, they demanded that it cede power to an elected government as soon as possible.