The Bangladeshi main opposition Awami League (AL) announced Sunday they agreed to return to Parliament and place proposals for reforms in the caretaker government and electoral system.

This announcement has brought about an active response from the ruling BNP party.

A local television station reported Monday that BNP welcomed the AL's decision to go back to Parliament.

AL chief Sheikh Hasina on Sunday told a big rally here that if the government refused to meet their demand, they would resign from Parliament.

Sources said AL will return to Parliament either on Tuesday or Wednesday. The ongoing session has been scheduled to be prorogued on Feb. 15.

With the return, AL will end a 16-month long boycott to Parliament. The return will also save the membership of the opposition leader who remains at the risk of losing her seat in case of not attending the House in the next few days.

Amid thunderous claps and slogans by thousands of demonstrators, Hasina said that "the government has no alternative but to agree to implement the reforms in the caretaker government and the Election Commission."

She reiterated that the AL-led 14-party opposition alliance will neither contest nor allow any election in the country before the reforms are brought about.

The AL organized the opposition long march on Tuesday, accusing the ruling party harboring the Islamist militants and turning the country into a failed state, and demanding the government step down.

During the four-day long march, about 10,000 marchers were arrested by the police.

The AL and its 14-party alliance walked out from the 14th parliament session protesting the refusal of the speaker to hold discussion on the Aug. 21, 2004, grenade attacks on an AL rally in Dhaka.

The AL has been boycotting the House from the 15th session, following the refusal of Business Advisory Committee to hold discussion on the killing of former Finance Minister Shah Kibria in a grenade attack.

According to the constitution, continued absence in Parliament for 90 workdays shall lead to losing the membership of a lawmaker.     

The government side said if the AL members lose their membership, the government will act as per the constitution, which means by-election.

The recent clashes between the ruling BNP and the AL were caused by the appointment of two new election commissioner by the government.

The AL believed the next election cannot be free and fair with the government-appointed election commissioners in the Election Commission.

There are altogether five people in the Election Commission now, with the chief election commissioner MA Azizis thought to be in favor of the ruling party.

AL and it 14-party alliance held a countrywide hartal on Jan. 22 to protest the appointment of two new election commissioners and demand the resignation of the chief election commissioner.

The tenure of the current government will expire on October this year after five years in power. According to the constitution, the government will transfer the power to an neutral caretaker government who will arrange the general elections within three months.

(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2006)