Bangladesh parties continue talks; leaders bicker

DHAKA, Oct 6 (Reuters) Bangladesh's two major parties today held talks on electoral reform for the second day but their leaders continued to snipe at each other.

Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, secretary-general of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and Abdul Jalil, his counterpart in the main opposition Awami League party, held talks aimed at ending a stalemate over next year's elections.

The talks began yesterday -- the first since the opposition began demanding electoral reforms last year.

''We have discussed everything and are making progress,'' Bhuiyan told reporters. ''The next round of the talks will be held on Sunday evening.'' Mr Jalil said: ''The talks are aimed at resolving a national crisis and we will continue efforts towards it.

''We are sincerely trying to reach a solution.'' The Awami League is demanding the removal of the chief election commissioner and his deputies, accusing them of a pro-government bias.

The opposition also wants a say in choosing the head of a caretaker authority that would supervise the election in January, 2007.

But party leaders continued to attack the other side.

Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, a former prime minister, said: ''The government is trying to prolong the talks to cheat the people. It (government) will be compelled to accept the reform proposals through a fresh movement.'' Ms Hasina earlier had threatened to ''boycott and resist'' the election unless her demands for reforms were met.

Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia said the opposition was planning to come to power by illegal means.

''The parliamentary election will be held early next year despite a conspiracy by the opposition, which wants to assume power through anarchy,'' she told a rally in the southwestern town of Satkhira yesterday.

REUTERS SHB BST1957