By this time the advisers might be trying informally to negotiate a consensus among the political parties on reconstituting the commission by sending two commissioners on leave, said sources.

President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed at a meeting on Wednesday asked the advisers to initiate steps to break the deadlock stemming from his strong opposition to the idea of sending Election Commissioner SM Zakaria on leave.

The advisory council did not meet yesterday. They did not even discuss among themselves how to go about negotiations with the parties. They however have plans to take steps to that end on December 17, just four days before the deadline for filing nominations for the election due in January.

"We will take measures next Sunday to end the impasse in efforts to recast the Election Commission," newly appointed Adviser Shafiqual Haque Choudhury told The Daily Star last night.

"It might take a few more days to find a solution to the problem," he added.

Another newly appointed adviser, M Moinuddin Khan, said they are trying their best to overcome the differences.

The four new advisers, sworn in last Tuesday, will seek to play a robust role in implementing the package proposals and will place some recommendations to the president after discussions with the political parties, sources said.

"Let them [new advisers] try to solve the crisis over the Election Commission reconstitution," an adviser wishing anonymity told The Daily Star.

The council of advisers on December 4 finalised the proposals including the all-important one for recasting the EC by sending two controversial election commissioners--SM Zakaria and Modabbir Hossain Chowdhury--on leave and appointing new election commissioners.

But the president who earlier consented to the proposal had suddenly started opposing the move to make Zakaria take time off work. This turnabout in his attitude irked the advisers and their frustration culminated in resignation of the four advisers following the president's December 9 order for the armed forces deployment.

However, things began to seem a little better after the last advisory council meeting on Wednesday. At the meeting, the president gave the advisers the nod to reinitiate the move to recast the EC in accordance with the package proposals, said an adviser.

"We will place some recommendations after having talk with the political parties. Then he [president] will take one final step to send the two election commissioners on leave," said an adviser on condition of anonymity.

Once the two election commissioners are on leave, the president might not appoint any new election commissioner, the sources added.

Meanwhile, briefing newsmen at his office, Agriculture Adviser Shafiqual Haque Choudhury said, "Everything depends on the two major political alliances. There will be no positive outcome if we fail to convince them to arrive at a consensus."

"Yes, I had predicted that there would be a solution to the crisis within three days. But three days do not necessarily mean three days... what if I cannot reach them (leaders of political parties) for discussion?" Shafiqual told reporters when asked about his comment that a solution would come out within three days.

Referring to attacks on a number of ASA (Association for Social Advancement) offices, he said, "How could I work to solve the nation's problems when some people are setting fire to my offices one after another?"

"I feel threatened. I don't know if I would be dead or alive," said Shafiqual, founder and president of the ASA, a non-government microfinance organisation.

When asked who might be behind the attacks, he said: "I don't know."

The police headquarters on Wednesday alerted its stations across the country to attacks on ASA branches after Shafiqual became an adviser to the interim government.