"To bring distinguished persons like former president and prime minister to trial, alternatives to arrest should be devised," said Badruddoza while speaking to the journalists after a views exchange meet with divisional-level LDP leaders at the LDP office in the city yesterday.

On Awami League President Sheikh Hasina's arrest, he said, "Every citizen of the country in principle should agree that nobody is above the law."

Badruddoza termed the Election Commission's (EC) recently declared roadmap to parliamentary elections "an appreciable move". He also said despite EC's reconstitution, a lot of work is still needed to be done in the EC.

"The EC is yet to have its own independent secretariat," he said adding that it should have a court and the court would hold trials of cases filed in connection with electoral rules violations.

"We want to see that the government creates a congenial atmosphere for holding free and fair general elections soon," he said, adding, "The government should implement our pre-January-22 election demands."

Speaking about the powers the presidential office has, he said the office of the president should have more powers.

"It is unfortunate that the president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but the defence ministry is not under his office," said the former president of Bangladesh.

Illustrating how titular the post of president of Bangladesh is, he said the president grants mercy to convicts but his office does not deal with mercy petitions. Bureaucrats get promotions on Presidential Quota but the president does not select them, he only signs the orders, he added.

Earlier, the LDP president spoke at a views exchange meeting with its divisional-level leaders of Khulna. They held similar meetings with leaders of Chittagong and Barisal divisions on July 12. After a meeting with LDP's Dhaka division leaders, they would finalise their reforms proposal and submit it to the EC and make it public, party leaders said.

LDP Secretary General Maj (retd) Abdul Mannan, its Vice-president Abu Muzaffar Ahmed, Planning Secretary Sabera Begum, Joint Organising Secretary Maj (retd) Sheikh Nadir Ahmed were also present at the views exchange meeting.