"I hope they will resign willingly as they failed to maintain neutrality by visiting the AL president's house in unflagged car and without any protocol," Bhuiyan said at a press briefing yesterday at the party central office at Naya Paltan in the capital.

"It is not important for what purpose they went to Sudha Sadan but they have done a mistake by paying the visit," Bhuiyan said when reporters told him that President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed instructed the two advisers to go there.

Asked about Adviser Justice Fazlul Haque's controversial comment after placing wreath at the National Memorial at Savar, the BNP leader asked, "Is it fair that a person should resign only for a comment?"

On the reported dual citizenship of Adviser Sufia Rahman, Bhuiyan just said, "I don't know anything about it."

President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed sent Adviser Shafi Shami and Sultana Kamal to Hasina's residence on Thursday night to inform her about the interim government's move to reconstitute the Election Commission (EC) a day before expiry of the 14- party combine's ultimatum to the caretaker government to prove its neutrality.

Mannan Bhuiyan said the two advisers failed to maintain neutrality by holing talks with 14-party leaders, and he also alleged, "Sultana Kamal was a member of Jatiya Oikya Mancha led by Dr Kamal Hossain". He hoped that the president would take action in this regard.

On the council of advisers' move to restructure the EC, Bhuiyan said, "How they will reconstitute it. They must follow the constitution. They should not do anything beyond the constitutional provisions."

Criticising the AL, the former LGRD and cooperatives minister said they (AL) want to realise their demands through pressure and threats. The interim government will act as per the constitution, not yield to pressure, he hoped.

"BNP is a big political party. We can also announce programmes, if needed," he said without giving details.

"Asking them (chief election commissioner and election commissioners) to resign is against the constitution, " the former minister said in reply to a question.

Former law minister and BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed told the briefing, "It is their (caretaker government) duty to help the EC to hold a free and fair election".

Former health minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said, "There is no provision in the constitution to take any step against the CEC and the Ecs."

BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mahbub Uddin Ahmad and Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan were also present at the briefing.

Advisers met Hasina on council's consensus Advisers to the caretaker government yesterday said two of their colleagues met Awami League (AL) chief Sheikh Hasina on Thursday night following a consensus decision and on instructions of PresidentIajuddin