The ministry sent the request to the president through the principal secretary Thursday night and the ministry is expecting a reply by tomorrow.

"We sent the proposal to the president Thursday night and we are expecting that a reply will come today," AFM Solaiman Chowdhury, establishment secretary, said.

The probe committee headed by M Abdul Aziz, agriculture secretary, is investigating all the previous similar incidents as per the terms of references (TOR) of the circular issued by the establishment ministry.

Some political parties are alleging that the establishment ministry, in connivance with BNP, is trying to divert the public attention from serious allegations against the government officials as well as other issues.

"The probe committee has no way to change the terms of references of the government circular which means the probe body has to investigate all matters within the stipulated time which is impossible," a high official of the establishment ministry told The daily Star preferring anonymity.

The council of advisers in a meeting on November 26 with the chief adviser to the caretaker government and President Iajuddin Ahmed decided to probe the incident. But mysteriously, the establishment ministry issued a circular detailing the TOR that involves investigation of similar past incidents.

The advisers later said their (the council of advisers) decision did not correspond with the circular issued by the establishment ministry.

The Establishment Secretary AFM Solaiman Chowdhury, however, told a group of reporters that the ministry was implementing a government directive while issuing the circular.

About 40 former and in-service government high officials joined Mahmudur Rahman's secret 'party' in his business office at Sector 1 of Uttara in the capital last week. Among them, 15 have been learnt to be holding posts of assistant secretaries and joint secretaries in the current civil administration. They are also known to have close ties with BNP.

As journalists gathered in front of the meeting venue, the officials fled the scene frantically trying to hide their faces with their hands and by pulling their shirts over their faces.

The incident sparked strong reactions across the country as the news made to the front page of many newspapers.