The citizens also asked the president, who is also the chief adviser to the caretaker government, to take effective measures to hold a free and fair election in the country.

In a joint news release, the citizens said no effective progress have been noticed regarding reconstitution of the Election Commission, preparation of a fair voter list, and about making the administration neutral, even after 12 days into the caretaker government's regime.

It is unconstitutional and illogical on the part of President Iajuddin Ahmed to make the comment that the country now has a presidential government, as the parliamentary government system still prevails according to the constitution, the release said.

The president being also the chief adviser to the caretaker government does not bring any characteristic change in the government or the system, the release read.

The release also said the president's comment that criticising the government officials appointed by him is tantamount to interfering with the functioning of the state, is illogical too and undemocratic.

Every citizen has the right to observe and criticise the civil servants, it said adding that it is the government's treasury that pays the civil servants although the president appoints them.

Dr Khan Sarwar Murshid, Mujibul Huq, Dr Anisuzzaman, Ajoy Roy, Dr Hamida Hossain, Khushi Kabir, Kamal Lohani, Dr Hayat Mamud, Ziauddin Tarek Ali, Advocate Tobarak Hossain, Kazi Madina, Saleh Ahmed, Kohinoor Begum, Salma Ali, Haris Uddin, Rekha Chowdhury, Bula Osman, Ruhul Amin Patwary, Swapan Kumar Saha, M Shafiur Rahman Khan Bachchhu, Kazi Rokeya Sultana, Maniruzzaman, Sonia Nishat Amin, Shamim Akhtar and other prominent citizens signed the release.