The Bangabandhu killing case has been pending with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) for five years.

"We have unanimously decided to observe the half-day hartal, from 6:00am to 12:00noon, on behalf of the 14-party," Abdul Jalil, coordinator of the 14-party, told newsmen after a meeting at his Nam flat in the capital. He said floral wreaths would also be placed at the monument of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on behalf of the opposition combine.

Jalil, also general secretary of the AL, said they would jointly hold a discussion on Bangabandhu on August 14 and observe grenade-attack-day on August 21. Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina came under grenade attack on August 21 in 2004, which left 24 AL leaders and workers dead.

AL presidium members at a meeting prepared the programmes on July 30.

Jalil said they have discussed the latest political scenario at the meeting and the next course of anti-government agitation programmes to force the government accept the reforms in the caretaker government and the Election Commission (EC).

He said they would announce their decisions today after a 14-party meeting at AL's central office at 4:00pm.

However, meeting sources said they also decided to start road march at different districts after August 15 where the ruling BNP is influential and hold a grand rally in the capital in the first week of the next month.

Jalil said they are at the peak of their anti-government movement. "We will announce fresh anti-government agitations which will involve thousands of people and will force the coalition government to accept electoral reforms," Jalil said without disclosing the programmes.

Chaired by AL Presidium Member Abdur Razzak, the meeting was also attended by Tofail Ahmed, Obaidul Quader, Rashed Khan Menon, Hasanul Haque Inu, Mainuddin Khan Badal, Hazi Abdus Samad, Nurul Islam, Pankaj Bhattacharya.