Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami, the main ally of ruling BNP, finally gave its consent to BNP's sitting in dialogue with AL without their participation.

In a crucial meeting of the ruling alliance, BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan convinced Jamaat leaders that there is no alternative to sitting with the main opposition as the next election will not be acceptable to the international community without their participation, sources said.

As the Jamaat leaders reiterated their strong opposition to the proposed BNP-AL secretary general level talks on reforms in the caretaker government system and Election Commission that would exclude Jamaat, the BNP secretary general assured the Jamaat leaders that he will hear the AL proposals during the talks while the decision on them will be taken after consultation within the coalition.

When an Islami Oikya Jote leader asked if any concrete decision had been taken on changing Justice MA Aziz as the chief election commissioner and Justice KM Hasan as chief of the caretaker government, Bhuiyan replied in the negative, meeting sources said.

Mannan Bhuiyan told the alliance leaders that they support most of the items of the 42-point demand they had identified in the opposition's proposal.

“We will discuss with our allies before finalising the decision on the opposition's reform proposal,” he told the reporters after the meeting.

“I talked with Abdul Jalil today and told him to fix the date and time for dialogue,” he said.

Finally giving their consent to the BNP-AL secretary general level meeting, Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid said, “Awami League should come with open mind if they want to make the dialogue successful.”

Earlier the BNP top brass met for the second time to finalise their strategy for the proposed talks and evaluate the legal aspects of the 31-point reform proposal on the caretaker government system and electoral rules, placed by Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina.

After discussing the opposition demands, the BNP policymakers made a 42-point list, some of which can be implemented under the existing rules while others require constitutional amendment.

Health Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Law Minister Moudud Ahmed, Agriculture Minister MK Anwar and BNP Joint Senior Secretary General Tarique Rahman were present in the meeting.

BNP leaders spoke in favour of strengthening the Election Commission and making it independent, sources said.

However, they expressed unwillingness to go beyond the constitution on sensitive issues like chief adviser to the caretaker government, chief election commissioner, a separate voter list for Chittagong Hill Tracts and the president's advisory role for the caretaker government.