Opposition workers waving banners, festoons and placards began to gather at Altafunnesa Playground in the town from 3:30pm before the march started towards Matidal at 6:00pm.

Several thousand people also walked down spontaneously to join the march while a number of curious people stood on both sides of the road to see the march.

The marchers walked about six kilometres in one and a half hours.

The demonstrators also chanted slogans in favour of a number of nomination aspirants including AL Organising Secretary Mahmudur Rahman Manna, district AL President Mamtaz Uddin and Ansar Ali Mridha.

They virtually sought votes in favour of their leaders for upcoming parliamentary election.

Prior to the march, a rally was held there.

A number of senior opposition leaders including 14-party Coordinator Abdul Jalil, Motia Chowdhury, Mohammad Nasim, Prof Abu Sayeed, Abdul Mannan, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Rashed Khan Menon, Hasanul Haque Inu, Dilip Barua, Mofidul Islam Khan Kamal and Rezaul Karim Tansen addressed the rally presided over by district AL President Mamtaz Uddin.

Addressing the rally, the opposition leaders alleged that the BNP-Jamaat-led coalition government has been conspiring to foil the upcoming election fearing that they would not be elected due to their wide corruption and misrule.

They said there would be no election in the country without the proposed reforms in electoral process.

Jalil, also general secretary of AL, demanded reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC) after ousting the chief election commissioner (CEC) and two other "politically appointed" commissioners.

After the rally, senior leaders led the march that ended at Matidal.

Sources said around 500 law enforcers were deployed to maintain law and order.

The main thoroughfare of the town Kabi Nazrul Islam Road was sealed off during the march.

The opposition combine announced the road march programmes at eight districts aiming to involve thousands of people in the street agitation to compel the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance government to accept reforms in the caretaker government and the Election Commission.

They will organise road marches in Kustia tomorrow, Barisal on August 19, Jessore on August 20, Rajbari on August 24, Rangpur on August 26, Chittagong on August 28 and Sylhet on August 30.