"No action has been taken against those [syndicate and middlemen] who are responsible for the price spiral. The nation has been waiting to see action against the price syndicate," BNP chairperson's adviser Mofazzal Karim said at the BBC Bangladesh Sanglap in the capital.

The people hoped that the prices of essentials would come down during the tenure of the present caretaker government, but the prices are spiralling instead, causing immense suffering to the common people, said Jatiya Party (JP) presidium member GM Quader.

The price syndicate and the middlemen are still playing their role in raising prices, he said.

He also said that businessmen are now afraid to open L/Cs, which might also contribute to the price hike.

BBC Bangla Service in conjunction with the World Service Trust organised the discussion at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre. BBC's Shakeel Anwar moderated the event.

Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, former president of Dhaka University Teachers' Association (Duta), said the prices of essentials have gone up alarmingly as the monitoring mechanism has not been functioning properly in the free market system.

Mofazzal Karim said the caretaker government should have made interventions much earlier to control prices of essentials.

Replying to a question, Prof Arefin Siddique observed that the neutrality of the non-party caretaker government has been undermined due to comments by an adviser that most Jamaat leaders as partners of the previous four-party coalition government might not have any link with corruption.

Rather, Jamaat was involved in large-scale corruption during the tenure of the BNP-led coalition government, the former Duta president said, adding that Jamaat cannot avoid its responsibilities for the massive corruption, which took place in the five years of the coalition government.

Expressing similar views, Awami League presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury said Jamaat was involved in arms smuggling, killing, looting and torture.

If Jamaat leaders have resorted to corruption, they must be brought to book, said BNP leader Mofazzal Karim.

JP leader GM Quader, however, said he does not think that the neutrality of the government has been undermined due to the remarks by an adviser over Jamaat issue.

Replying to another query, both the AL and BNP leaders ruled out any splits in their parties. "People or leaders can quit, but the party will remain intact," said Sajeda.

"Differences of opinion have emerged in the BNP, but it won't split," Mofazzal Karim said, adding that their reform proposals are not aimed at removing anybody from the party.

"But if anybody is caught in the process of purge, we have nothing to do," he added.

All the participants said reforms must be brought to the mindset of politicians first and then in politics and political parties in order to ensure a free and fair election.