Dhaka: Caught up between hope and despair, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has decided to move swiftly to put pressure on the ruling alliance to go for an election-time supportive government if they find the new election commission to be announced by the President  'biased and unacceptable'.

Party senior leaders said they are not that much hopeful that the search committee, led by Supreme Court's Appellate Division Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, will propose 10 names of all the impartial and capable persons without the government's influence for appointing next election commissioners as most of its members have link with Awami League.

At the same time, they said they are not totally hopeless to get a good decision from the search panel as its some activities, including holding meeting with eminent citizens and taking names from political parties, helped the party gain a little bit of confidence in it.

Under the circumstances, BNP standing committee members are going to sit in a meeting on Monday night to work out the party's strategy to face the situation after the formation of the EC as the search committee is likely to finalise 10 names the same day to place to the President for appointing new election commissioners.

A BNP standing committee member wishing anonymity said their party's greater focus is on making an arrangement for an election-time government than the EC. 'If the EC is formed with controversial persons, it won't only be unacceptable to people, but also make our demand for election-time supportive government stronger.'

After the formation of the new EC, he said, their chairperson Khaleda Zia will place a proposal on formation of an election-time supportive government to drum up public support in favour of it.

'If the EC is not formed as per people's hopes and aspirations, we'll launch our movement very shortly after the announcement of the Commission. If an acceptable EC is constituted, we'll follow the go-slow policy,' the BNP leader said.

Contacted, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said their party could not be happy with the search committee as most of its members are either directly involved with the government or benefited by it. 'So, it's difficult for them to take a neutral decision.'

'Even though, we've accepted the committee and sent five names to it responding to its request as we want to strengthen democracy and overcome political uncertainty,' he said.

Fakhrul said people have an apprehension that the Election Commission will finally be reconstituted with the people chosen by the Prime Minister. 'We also don't expect much from this search committee. Even though we've a little hope that the search panel members will propose names of impartial and competent persons playing a historic and sincere role to help the nation overcome the 'political crisis'.

'We also hope the President, as the guardian of the country and a veteran politician, will form a stronger Commission with neutral and brave persons reflecting people's hopes and aspirations,' he said.

Asked whether they will take to the streets if the new Commission is not acceptable to them, he said, 'We'll surely not sit idle if it happens. We're working out our strategy to this end.'

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said they have reservation about the search committee from the very beginning of its formation as who has been made its chief was also the head the last search committee that recommended constituting the EC with persons like Rakbuddin Ahmed.

He, however, appreciated the search panel for holding discussions with the 16 noted citizens. 'The eminent citizens suggested them to present the nation an acceptable Commission with honest, sincere, competent, impartial and brave people. We can expect the search committee not to insult them by ignoring their recommendations.'

If the EC is formed as per the will of any particular party or persons, Mosharraf said, BNP will take proper action programme evaluating the emerging situation against it.

Asked whether they hope the search committee will recommend the President some names they have proposed to it for appointing next election commissioners, he said, 'We proposed names of neutral persons, and we hope the search panel will consider them.'

Another BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said, 'All the five people whose name we've proposed don't have link with BNP politics and they're honest, competent and accepted to society.'

He said their party wants the search committee to propose names of uncontroversial, capable and honest persons to appoint the next election commissioners.