Jalil suggested not allowing a political party without having political activities of three to five years to participate in the election. The party will tell the people about its aims and principles during such period, he added.

"If a political party is formed today and participate in the elections tomorrow, then there will be no transparency," he told journalists at his Mercantile Bank office.

He said the government should give donation for political parties to ensure transparency in their funding systems and strengthen intra-party democracy.

He said the AL is now sincerely thinking about bringing reforms and immediately after the ban on indoor politics is lifted they will take initiatives to that end. Jalil termed reforms in the AL a continuous process since its formation and claimed that his party practises democracy from the top to grassroots level.

On transparency of the political parties, he said the parties are functioning on subscription, but if they get annual donation from the government, it will ensure their transparency and accountability.

"The government should fix an annual donation for political parties considering the percentage of votes each party gets in the election," he said, suggesting annual donation of Tk 5 for each vote.

The AL leader also disagreed with the Election Commission's proposal to include at least 33 percent women in party posts.

The AL leader said they want to keep the parliament free from the corrupt, black money owners and criminals. So, the political parties should be careful so that corrupt people, black money owners and criminals do not get nominations for parliamentary elections.

About reforms in the government, Jalil said the government should bring changes in its attitude. "The party forming the government will have to change its attitude and consider itself as the representative of the whole nation, not just that particular party," he said.

If the government fails to change its attitude, it will fail to prove its neutrality, he added.

Referring to the appointment of the Speaker of parliament, Jalil said, "[He] should be selected before the election and he should play a neutral role in making parliament effective and no political party will give nomination in the constituency from where the Speaker will be selected on the basis of a consensus."

Jalil said parliamentary committees should be effective and strengthened so that accountability of a minister can be ensured.

NO ACTION AGAINST PARTY LEADERS
Jalil refuted a newspaper report that the AL high-ups are planning organisational action against some of its central leaders for their alleged move to keep AL President Sheikh Hasina in exile in a bid to bring reforms in the party without her.

"This kind of matter has never been discussed in the party...No show cause notice has been issued or will be issued and no list has been prepared comprising the names of those leaders," he said.