The AL has already announced a series of anti-government programmes and casting around for allies in street demonstrations and the ruling alliance leader BNP has unveiled a month-long programme from today to head off the opposition plan.

The BNP is also pressing Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad not to join the opposition agitation and former president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury is planning to turn his alternative platform into a political party on April 12 amid fears of 'violent confrontation'.

Some of Bangladesh's development partners and business leaders spoke out for term-completion by the elected government, but the AL is unbent on its stand.

The AL and some left parties will observe 'Basic Democratic Rights Protection Day' today in the run-up to a set of intensified agitation at the end of the month against the government what they say has failed to rein in crimes, corruption and price hike of essentials.

The AL has called daylong nationwide hartals for April 7 and 8 and plans to announce longer shutdowns ahead of its deadline.

The main opposition is also trying to consolidate its relations with left parties after enforcing a simultaneous hartal on March 6 along with the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Workers Party, JSD-Inu, Samyabadi Dal and Gano Azadi League.

The BNP and its front organisations will stage rallies and processions in every ward of Dhaka in an effort to add a zest to the party.

Khaleda, also the chairperson of BNP, will address a public rally on April 10 in Dhanmondi-Mohammadpur constituency after similar meetings in Jatrabari, Bashabo, Lalbagh, Badda and Mirpur for drumming up support.

Top BNP policymakers admitted that the month-long programmes were taken in view of the AL deadline.