Oli Ahmed, president of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), today announced to float a new political alliance to press their 18-point demand including release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

He announced the inception of the new platform -- Jatiya Mukti Mancha -- at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka this afternoon, reports our staff correspondent.

Oli Ahmed, chief coordinator of BNP-led 20-party combine, said that they will organise peaceful programmes aiming to “ensure people’s franchise and formation of people’s government”.

The press conference was in progress till last reported.

Demanding release of imprisoned Khaleda Zia, Oli expressed optimism that the countrymen and all the other opposition parties will extend support to the new alliance from their own stance.

Reading out a written statement, he said their will be no violent elements in their programmes.

Some other key demands of the newly floated alliance include: saving state-owned institutions; forming a national commission of experts; taking immediate steps to stop murders and enforced disappearances; and withdrawal of false cases.

LDP Joint Secretary General Shahdat Hossain Selim moderated the press conference.

Airport police have detained Redwan Ahmed, secretary general of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), for carrying bullets at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

Seven rounds of bullets were seized from his luggage which he was carrying without the airport authority’s permission, Noor-e-Alam Siddiqi, director of Aviation Security (AVSEC) at the Dhaka airport, told The Daily Star.

The bullets were detected while Redwan Ahmed was going through security screening for boarding his flight from Dhaka to Chattogram at 7:30am, the security official added.

As per the airport rules, the LDP leader did not inform the airport authority or handed over the bullets. The authority has handed him over to the airport police, Noor-e-Alam said.

Redwan Ahmed told the airport authority that he was not aware of the fact that the bullets were in his bag.

President of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Oli Ahmed today urged the government to take steps for the formation of a national government comprising honest and experienced politicians of the country.

"Though we demanded reelection rejecting the election results, the President and the Prime Minister called for a nation unity. So, I would like to call for taking immediate steps to form a national government with the country's honest and experienced politicians," he said.

Speaking at a press conference at LDP's East-Panthapath office, Oli also warned the government that it may not be possible for it to move forward much based on 'lies'.

He alleged that a drama was staged in the name of election on December 30 as ballots were stuffed at night before the voting.

Oli, also the chief coordinator of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, alleged that nearly 80 percent ballots were stuffed without the signatures of the presiding officers. "Voters didn't see ballot papers visiting 95 percent polling stations."

He urged the MPs-elect of BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront not to take oath. "We hope they won't betray the country's 16 crore people. If they take oath they'll be treated as traitors."

The LDP chief also claimed to have obtained information that many from the opposition parties contested the election taking money from the government's intelligence agencies after December 10 last.

He said the candidates of the 20-party alliance will not file any case with the High Court's election tribunal as he thinks it will not bring any good results since the judiciary is under the government's control.