"One alliance leader [Khaleda Zia] wants to steal votes, the president wants to help the 'thief' and for this he has deployed army whereas the duty of the army is to guard the country," the AL chief said at a crowded press conference at her Dhanmondi office.

"When we have postponed our demonstration programmes including sit-in demonstrations around the Bangabhaban after the advisers' request and instructed our leaders to go their localities to help updating the voter list, what situation has led to the army deployment?" Hasina posed the question.

The AL chief instructed her party men to remain prepared with whatever they have to lay siege to the Bangabhaban when she calls upon them.

"The president did not do the right thing by deploying army at this time. He violated the constitution repeatedly. If I survive, justice will prevail," said Hasina, warning that they will see how long the president stays at the Bangabhaban.

Her party is ready to participate in the next election at any time but the package deal negotiated between the advisers of the caretaker government and the major political alliances has to be immediately implemented, updating of voter roll is to done properly and a congenial atmosphere should be created before holding the election, the AL president said.

Prior to the briefing, the AL chief held several meetings with her party's Presidium members, leaders of 14-party alliance and Liberal Democratic Party to discuss the latest political situation following the army deployment.

Earlier in the morning, Hasina held a crucial meeting with British High Commissioner in Dhaka Anwar Chowdhury and US Ambassador Patricia A Butenis at her Sudha Sadan residence.

The election will have to be held as per the constitution after preparing an updated voter list, she said.

"We accepted the package proposal offered by the advisers, but it has not been implemented yet as the BNP-Jamaat coalition leader [Khaleda Zia] has hindered implementing the deal by using the president and chief adviser in a bid to foil the election," said Hasina.

She announced a countrywide demonstration tomorrow (Tuesday) demanding full implementation of the package offered by the advisers.

Hasina observed that as they (14-party) announced to lay siege to Bangabhaban, the president besieged himself by surrounding the Bangabhaban with army.

The president has lost confidence of the advisers for his unilateral move to deploy army, she said, adding that the president's disregard for the advisers' opinion over the deployment of army has made the situation complicated.

Hasina accused the president of not having any ethics and always following Khaleda Zia's direction. She also questioned whose purpose the president was serving by playing with the army.

"The BNP-Jamaat coalition during their five-year tenure has destroyed the three main institutions of the country -- the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. This time they are trying to make the army controversial through using the president," the AL chief said.

Hasina demanded Iajuddin Ahmed's immediate resignation from the post of the chief adviser and accused him of creating obstacles to the advisers performing duties.

Over suspending the sit-in demonstrations around the Bangabhaban, the AL chief said, "People are ready. They will take to the streets whenever I call upon them."

Referring to the updating of the voter roll, she said their leaders and workers have been monitoring the process. She also said massive irregularities were found in different parts of the country and it would not be possible to correct the list in such a short time.

Eligible voters were not included in the voter roll in different parts of the country on different grounds, alleged Hasina demanding inclusion of all eligible voters in it.

"When the people are working on correcting the voter roll, the president has declared war against the people and taken the strategy to place the army against the people only to ensure the implementation of the vote rigging conspiracy by the BNP-Jamaat coalition," Hasina said.

She asked the army not to follow the list created by the BNP-Jamaat coalition, but instead follow the newspaper reports when raiding criminals for arms or black money.

The AL president said the people would appreciate the army if they arrest criminals, corrupt persons and illegal arms possessors in December -- the month of victory. But any torture and threat to leaders and workers of AL, 14-party, Jatiya Party, LDP and other parties taking part in their movement would not be tolerated, she warned.

Senior 14-party leaders Zillur Rahman, Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Obaidul Quader, Rashed Khan Menon, Hasanul Haque Inu, Bimal Biswas, Nurul Islam and Pankaj Bhattacharya were present at the press conference.