Any attempt to establish Pakistani form of democracy will not be acceptable to the people of Bangladesh, they said at the BBC Bangladesh Sanglap, a discussion programme at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital.

AL Presidium Member Suranjit Sengupta, BNP Vice-Chairman Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin, former director general of Bangladesh Institute for International and Strategic Studies Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader and Coordinator of Nijera Kori Khushi Kabir featured out the four-member panel of the Sanglap.

Both the BNP and AL leaders said reforms in the two major political parties should be made in presence of the two top leaders -- BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and AL President Sheikh Hasina.

Presence of the party chief is not a bar to bringing reforms in the party, Suranjit said replying to a question on reforming politics by omitting the two party chiefs. In case of reforms, laws should be formulated so that one person cannot hold the top post of the party more than twice and could not concurrently hold the chief posts of the party and the government.

"There is no provision in our Constitution to form a national government. But considering the present context such a government can be formed after the next election," said Suranjit. He said the people of Bangladesh would never allow any Pakistan-style system.

In bringing party reforms, there should be role of the two party chiefs who were former prime ministers of the country, Hafiz Uddin said.

"I support formation of a national government only after holding elections and if it comprises the winning party and those in the second and third positions," he said, replying to a question on forming such a government in Bangladesh in line with the government of Nelson Mandela of South Africa.

It is not known what the caretaker government is going to do, he said, adding that people did not tolerate any autocratic government in the past.

Maj Gen Quader, on the other hand, spoke for keeping the two party chiefs out of politics.

"The two party chiefs instituted dynasty instead of establishing internal democracy within their parties and there were extreme examples of dictatorship in both the parties. When political parties were in power, they did not bring any party reforms or establish internal democracy. How can we expect them to bring reforms now?" the former army official said.

Quader, who is currently executive director of Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, a private think tank, said the armed forces did not take over power during the antagonistic situations of the country in recent months.

"The army knows that people will not tolerate a Musharraf-style democracy in the country," he said.

The army has no plans to bring any 'special form' of democracy in the country as only the political parties will decide it, he added.

He, however, supported the army chief's recent statement regarding the balance of power between the president and the prime minister.

In a democratic process a national government can be formed after election, he said.

Khushi Kabir said the system, not the persons, should be reformed and a national government could be formed if the major political parties consider it.

There is a move to bring a Pakistani style of democracy in the country and for this the two chiefs of AL and BNP are being forced to stay abroad, she said.

BBC Bangla Service in conjunction with the BBC World Service Trust organised the Sanglap, moderated by Kamal Ahmed, a senior producer of BBC Bangla Service.