They also demanded immediate withdrawal of the troops.

In a press release, LDP President Badruddoza Chowdhury accused the president of deploying the army on advice of the BNP-Jamaat alliance, adding that this step had got the nation's military involved in unnecessary controversy.

At a presidium meeting in the party office yesterday, Badruddoza also noted that the president's decision shows that the caretaker government has failed in its responsibility in some regards.

Meanwhile, Executive President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Oli Ahmed urged the armed forces not to stoop to the role of 'police.'

"You are the pride of the country for your unparalleled contribution to the liberation war. Therefore you will not side with any particular political party or the corrupt," he said while addressing a rally in Tangail yesterday.

The LDP leader also urged the government to arrest all the BNP ministers, lawmakers and leaders who have plundered crores of public assets in the past five years.

Regarding deployment of army, Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad said that the army is the pride of the nation and they must not be used to fulfill any ill motives of any particular party or alliance. He was addressing a party meeting at Rangpur yesterday.

Ershad also urged the forces to act by putting themselves above all controversies for the greater benefits of the people.

Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) in a press release termed the army deployment as a 'provocative' move that endangers the hard-fought negotiations to resolve the political stalemate. "This move only fans the fire of the political tension instead of dousing it," the statement said quoting CPB President Manzurul Ahsan Khan.

"Just when it is necessary to implement the 'package proposals', this move would only deepen an already dangerous political crisis, if the army is deployed with any ill motives," Khan said. Bangladesh Student's Union, the students' wing of the CPB, demanded the withdrawal of the troops from all educational campuses.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Worker's Party described the move as 'abuse of power' by the president. "There is no doubt that the president has abused his powers to deploy the army in order to implement the agenda of the BNP-Jamaat without any logical reason," said a press release. Demanding immediate removal of the armed forces, the WP press release also stated, "Using the military against the people for the sole interests of a particular group is not an alternative."

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) in a press release yesterday described the deployment of army as "unconstitutional, illegal and conspiratorial" and demanded immediate withdrawal of the forces.

"The provision allows only the council of advisers to deploy the military, not the president alone," the JSD press release said, adding that it is completely unconstitutional and illegal to sideline the council of advisers in this regard.

Bangladesh Samajtantrik Party (BSP) in a press release quoted the convener of its central committee Khalequzzaman as saying, "What is needed is not the deployment of the army, but the resignation of the chief adviser."

The Freedom Fighters' Coordination Committee and the Sylhet Division Development Action Council also sent press releases demanding the immediate withdrawal of the army.