The demands are cancellation of the announced poll schedule, preparing a fresh updated voter list, and announcement of a fresh poll schedule.

The coalition also demanded reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC) after removing the old set of election commissioners and withdrawal of 300 'politically appointed' upazila election officers as its secondary demands.

And as its third line of demands it demanded thorough reshuffling of the civil and police administrations.

The coalition placed the demands during its talk with three advisers, who held a close-door parley with AL President Sheikh Hasina and her coalition leaders at Sudha Sadan last night.

The advisers proposed that the election should be held on the announced date. But the demands for rescheduling of the other dates of the over all electoral schedule, necessary correction of the voter roll, recasting of the EC by sending two 'controversial' commissioners SM Zakaria and Modabbir Hossain Chowdhury on leaves of absence as well as appointment of two new commissioners could be met, they said.

The advisers also agreed to reshuffle the administration including changing the home, establishment and LGD secretaries, and to bring necessary changes in other sensitive positions in the civil and police administrations.

A senior 14-party leader on condition of anonymity told The Daily Star last night that they told the advisers that they will not accept the 'illegally' announced poll schedule and will not take part in any election under that schedule.

"We have told the advisers that a fresh updated voter list is a must to hold a free and fair election and asked them to prepare and publish it so that the people can check it. And after correcting the fresh updated voter list, a fresh poll schedule will have to be announced," the leader said.

But the advisers said within such a short time left it is not possible to update the voter roll afresh and if it is to be done, the election date will have to be postponed for another four to five weeks.

The 14-party leader also said the leaders of the coalition told the advisers that how they will prepare a fresh updated voter list is not the coalition's problem.

"We have also asked the advisers whether they want to hold an unacceptable election within the time frame or want to shift the election date to hold a free and fair one," the coalition leader added.

"As the adviser proposed to remove three of the secretaries, we have also asked them to remove all controversially and politically appointed BNP-Jamaat loyalists from the administration," he said.

To undo the effects of politicised administration, the 14-party leaders demanded immediate removal of some secretaries including those of the home, establishment, local government and rural development, foreign, law, information, and education ministries, and changes in the vital posts in both the civil and police administrations including the ones of attorney general, and directors general of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and National Security Intelligence.

"We have told them (advisers) that they'd better act to meet our demands first, and then we will decide whether to participate in the election or not," said Pankaj Bhattacharya, a senior leader of the coalition.

About EC reconstitution, the 14-party leaders told the advisers that all the controversial commissioners should be replaced by non-partisan and non-controversial persons. "We have not mentioned any specific name in this regard," Pankaj added.