"Reforms can be carried out by having her [Sheikh Hasina] rectify her actions. If she does not do so, it [reforms] can be implemented by ousting her," said Suranjit Sengupta, a presidium member of the AL, at BBC Bangladesh Sanglap held at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital.

"I absolutely agree with Suranjit. A party chairperson will be rejected for failure to carry out reforms," said Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, a member of BNP central standing committee.

Dr Kamal Hossain, Gano Forum president and a renowned jurist, welcomed Suranjit and Rahman for their "bold statements" and said the topmost leadership of the major political parties have failed to free politics from the grip of corruption, terrorism, black money and nomination trade.

He urged the people to be united and raise their voice for bringing positive and meaningful changes in politics.

Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Tania Ameer said political parties themselves should carry out reforms within the parties -- not dictated by anyone or the government. The Election Commission however can take some measures to address the issue, she said.

BBC Bengali Service in association with BBC World Service Trust organised the discussion titled BBC Bangladesh Sanglap, the last episode of the second session. BBC's Waliur Rahman Miraz produced and Masud Hasan Khan moderated the event. The third session of the Sanglap will begin from July 21.

"We will first try to carry out reforms with our party chief [in the party]. If she does not implement the reforms, reforms will get the priority, not any individual or any leader," said Suranjit adding, "the protector has become the aggressor in politics".

He said the nation today is gripped by a crisis caused by severe degradation of politics. The nation must be saved from the political degradation and reforms are required in political parties as well as in the government. And for this, "major surgeries, not minor ones", will have to be performed harshly, added the AL leader.

Lt Gen Mahbubur Rahman, a former Army chief, said the country's politics took a nosedive due to severe corruption, criminalisation and influence of black money. To save the parties, politics has to be freed from these drawbacks through reforms, added Rahman.

"If the party chairperson does not believe in reforms and holds on to old conjectures, she will be rejected by the people," said the BNP leader.

Replying to another query, all panellists and majority of the audience present at the Sanglap observed that the government should immediately resume indoor politics. They also believe that the next parliamentary elections will be held by 2008 as the caretaker government had declared.

About formation of a new political party, Dr Kamal urged political party leaders practicing healthy politics to come forward and unite for establishing healthy politics in the country. "People hope that healthy politics will come back to the country like in the pre-1971 times."

Lt Gen Mahbubur Rahman said he would welcome the new party if it is formed by honest and competent individuals and if it brings in positive politics in the country as the people expect.

Suranjit urged his party workers to clean up the party and get rid of bad elements so that the party turns into a people's party.

Barrister Tania Ameer observed that the ones deprived of positions in different political parties as well as the ones belonging to two major parties wishing to "save their skin" are getting together to form the new party.