4 years of coalition a black chapter in history

They also asked the ruling alliance to admit their failures and resign immediately.

The roundtable was organised by Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) at its office in the city marking the four years of the BNP-Jamaat-led coalition in power.

JSD President Hasanul Haq Inu moderated the programme addressed by opposition leaders, academics and lawyers.

Speaking at the roundtable, opposition leaders said they are now working out a minimum national programme for the welfare of people.

The programme will be implemented if they are voted to power, they added.

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Abdul Jalil said the opposition leaders would announce the programme from a common podium in Dhaka on November 15.

The anti-government agitation in future will be geared up on the basis of the programme, he added.

"We will not allow to hold any election in the country without the proposed reforms in the caretaker government and the Election Commission," Jalil said.

He said four years of alliance regime is marked by lawlessness, unabated corruption, emergence of militant forces and repression on opposition parties.

“Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, her families and cabinet members have amassed huge illegal money through corruption and smuggled those out of the country,” Jalil said.

He said there is no other way but to oust the present government through united movement of all progressive, secular and democratic forces.

Supreme Court Bar Association President Mahbub-e-Alam said intervention of the government in higher judiciary has tarnished its integrity.

He asked the government not to confirm appointment of the controversial judges including Faisal Mahmud Faizee in the High Court.

Economist Dr Atiur Rahman identified government's negligence to agricultural sector as one of the main reasons for poor economy in last four years.

“Agriculture is the life blood of our economy, but the present coalition totally ignored the reality,” he said, adding price spiral of essentials is the outcome of ignoring the agriculture.

He also criticised the government for large-scale closure of state-owned mills and factories leaving thousands of workers jobless.

Prof Muntasir Mamun said rightists have established their strong presence in public universities under the patronisation of the present government.

He referred to the distortion of the history of Liberation War in school textbooks and said the government is doing this in a planned way so that the children do not get the true history of country's independence.

Prof Mamun alleged that private universities and colleges under the national university have been producing poor quality graduates as there is no atmosphere of proper education in those institutions.

He said as people want a change, the mainstream opposition parties should monitor their expectations and gear up the anti-government movement accordingly.

Hasanul Haq Inu underscored the need for immediate reforms in the Election Commission to safeguard the electoral system and democracy.

JSD leader Syed Zafar Sazzad placed the keynote paper that underscored the need for forming a three-tier unity of opposition parties united movement, joint participation in election and formation of a national government with the participation of all progressive parties.

Pankaj Bhattacharya of Gono Forum, Dilip Barua of Samyabadi Dal, Sheikh Shahidul Islam of Jatiya Party (Manju), Journalist Harun Habib and Prof Nim Chandra Bhowmik of Dhaka University also addressed the roundtable.