Both the political alliances informed The Daily Star last night that Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia already received invitations from the CA for meeting him and they accepted it.

The crucial appointments for discussing immensely important electoral issues over tea with the president and chief adviser have been scheduled for this evening.

In a simultaneous move yesterday, the council of advisers also placed a number of recommendations to the Election Commission (EC) on a range of possible changes that can be brought to the already announced election schedule staying within the bounds of the constitution.

The decisions were taken after the council of advisers met in emergency meetings at Bangabhaban on Thursday and yesterday. Chaired by Iajuddin, the meeting was attended by the advisers--excepting Dhiraj Kumar Nath--and also by EC Secretary Abdur Rashid Sarkar.

"We have decided that the president and chief adviser will separately invite the two top leaders of the two major political alliances for tea," Information Adviser Mahbubul Alam told reporters after the meeting.

Asked if the initiative would bring about a possible solution before the enforcement of the 14-party blockade, he was hopeful. "Let's wait and see, let's hope for the best. We still have one full day's time," he said.

Alam said the CA will discuss the upcoming election and the current political crisis with the two leaders, "Because it is necessary to talk to the top two leaders."

The council of advisers also discussed the reach and scope of possible changes in the declared election schedule, but there was no discussion on reconstitution of the EC or the appointment of any new election commissioner, he said.

"The advisory council elaborately discussed what changes could be brought to the declared election schedule," Alam said, but declined to provide any detail of the specific recommendations, saying, "It would not be right to say this in advance because of the confusion it might create.

"We have requested the EC to consider changing and adjusting the election schedule so that it can be accepted by all," Mahbubul Alam said.

This initiative followed the president's move on Wednesday night to send his Adviser Mokhlesur Rahman as an emissary to both Hasina and Khaleda to invite them for a dialogue in an effort to end the ongoing political crisis.

The AL-ed 14-party alliance is scheduled to impose a countrywide blockade from tomorrow. Three similar blockades had been earlier imposed by the alliance last month bringing the entire country to a grinding halt.

The 14-party threatened the blockade last Monday protesting the EC announcement of election schedule, and demanding rescheduling of the upcoming election and removal of "controversial" election commissioners.

The coalition also gave an ultimatum to the president and CA on Thursday to resign from the post of CA by today and appoint a non-partisan person to the post, otherwise face resumption of an indefinite countrywide blockade.

Pressure had been mounting on the caretaker government chief in the past week after a number of his advisers spoke out against the appointments of two new election commissioners by him without consulting the council of advisers.

The demands of 14-party also include functioning of the caretaker government in accordance with collective decisions of the advisory council, cancellation of 300 "politically appointed" upazila election officers, temporary suspension of those officials found to be involved in the surreptitious gathering at Uttara in the capital, and an impartial investigation of the incident.

Nicholas Burns, United States undersecretary of state, and Craig Jenness, visiting special envoy from United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, also stressed in the past week that the two major political parties need to put aside their differences and sit in a dialogue.