The Awami League (AL) president reiterated the demands that are parts of its electoral reforms proposal.

Hasina demanded the introduction of digital voter identity cards and a voter list with photographs of the voters. She also demanded the restoration of the previous provisions in the election laws regarding duties of the law enforcers during an election by repealing the provisions introduced during the last caretaker government.

Hasina was speaking at a discussion titled 'Election process and the caretaker government: reforms in the light of experience' at the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh in the capital.

Awami League organised the discussion marking October 1, when the BNP-Jamaat coalition swept through the 2001 general elections, as Black Day.

Former cabinet secretary HT Imam presented the keynote speech at the discussion chaired by senior AL presidium member Zillur Rahman.

The AL chief alleged that the BNP-Jamaat coalition took office through massive vote rigging in the October 1, 2001 general elections. "If they had not rigged the 2001 election, the country would not have witnessed the series of violence especially on the minorities," Hasina said.

Reiterating her stance that no election would be allowed to be held in the country without the implementation of the proposed electoral reforms, Hasina urged Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to give up plans to rig the elections and accept the opposition's reforms proposal.

On the secretaries-general level dialogue to resolve the reforms dispute, the AL chief said it was their political victory as they would not have to sit with Jamaat-e-Islami in the dialogue. She said the dialogue between the government and opposition parties is important for the nation under the present circumstances, adding that, the 14-party's movement will continue alongside the dialogue.

Hasina categorically said Justice KM Hasan, the probable chief adviser to the caretaker government, cannot be a neutral person as he is BNP partisan.

The AL chief alleged one crore 40 lakh fake voters have been included in the current voter list, 300 upazila election officers have been politically appointed. She said the ruling party hatched multiple conspiracies to rig the election and to come back to power fearing people will not vote for them.

Urging all to protect their right to vote, the former prime minister castigated the BNP-Jamaat government for the price hike of essentials, power crisis, politicisation of the administration, and extra-judicial killings.

Opposition leaders Abdul Jalil, Hasanul Haque Inu, Motia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Abdul Mannan, Akhtaruzzaman and Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Bimal Biswas, former president of Supreme Court Bar Association Mahbub-e-Alam and Editor of Bangladesh Observer Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury also participated in the discussion.